Checklists saves Lives and Dollars

 

Okay, okay I am a convinced.

"To what?” You ask.

To the importance and the necessity in today’s complex world of #Checklists.

There very existence has directly affected our freedom, the way we travel and our and our families’ health, big time.

Please let me explain. Beginning with a plane crash.

On October 30, 1935 at Wright Air Field in Dayton, Ohio a prototype military aircraft took off captained by Boeing’s most experienced test pilot, Major Ployer Hill.

This was no ordinary bomber. Nor was it just a run of the mill test flight (if there is such a thing).

The new super bomber was powered by 4 powerful engines, which would allow it to fly faster and twice as long than previous bombers and carry 5 times more bombs than the military requested. But this major advancement would come at a supreme price in that it was far more complex than any comparable military aircraft flown.

The flight was a trial to win the lucrative contract to be awarded by the US government at the lead up to the second world war.

The bomber crashed shortly after take off killing the experienced test pilot and another of the five member crew. Seemingly putting an end to the bombers possible inclusion in the US air force. In a subsequent inquiry it was deemed the aircraft with its four engines to complex for ordinary human beings to fly irrespective of their experience and capability.

End of story. Not quite.

A group comprising Boeing engineers, and a group of experienced test pilots, addressed the idea of complexity advocating and later to be adopted the measure of a checklist to overcome the frailty of the human memory and ability for the brain to operate in a high pressure environment. The result was the advent of the pre-flight checklist. The forerunner of what we all know and what gives us comfort in knowing that before each flight, there is a group of people at the pointy end running through a check list.

“Okay we have two engines, check, two wings-a starboard and a port, check…” Maybe not to that extent but those items critical to the well being and safety of the souls aboard.

Just like the many commercial applications that have spurned from the aviation and space industry you would have expected the Checklist to be another common day application in the making (remember plastic, teflon, navsat came from such developments).

Not so.

Fast forward 75 years.

The explosion of surgical operations worldwide (in 2004 230 million operations annually) resulting in 3-17% complication rate leaving 7million disabled and one million dead.

And has not seen an improvement from such scaling up the explosion in surgical operations. It was of such concern that the World Health Organisation wanted to address this major problem, but with no budget.

Hmm! Big problem. The question was how could surgery become safer but without the resource of money to promote the idea.

Enter a young surgeon with Bollywood  looks, not only the Brad Pit of his game but a fellow professor at Harvard Medical School.

Atul Gawande ( @Atul_Gawande), the learned professor, come surgeon had been seeking the answer why there were so many injuries and death from surgery.He saw that errors came in two forms. The first from insufficient knowledge and the second from incompetence, or ineptitude as he phrases.

Further training and better equipment could address the first. However the complexity of surgical operations resulted in the flourishing of ‘dumb’ errors by skilled surgeons and their surgery team who should have known better. It was in the ‘dumb stuff by experienced theatre staff that this proportion of theses errors were outgrowing the first of insufficient knowledge.

Atul began to develop on the idea of a Checklist adopted into surgery in early 2000 by surgeon Dr Peter Pronovost. The concept borrowed from Boeing, the sophisticated TO Do List and Project Management tool builders used to create the complex Skyscrapers , and dated back to the 1935 Boeing bomber prototype crash.

With WHO support and encouragement Gawanda arranged a trial run in 8 hospitals
 globally- spread over developed nations and poor countries. 

With no budget it relied on the goodwill and visionary of both Gawanda and the respective hospital management. The results were outstanding.From these initial results the Checklist program has rolled out globally and still the results outstanding, and an obvious success.

His greatest challenge was the ego, and gravitas of the surgeons and their teams who saw the Checklist as below them and challenged that they weren’t experienced to know what they were doing. On the contrary it was that they were highly skilled and experienced that they used short cuts and overlooked boring incidentals and the most basic but critical decisions and process. Even Gawande admits to mistakes he made while surgery that nearly killed a patient only saved because his surgery team followed the checklist.

The Checklist is more than a To Do List, it is concise list of key (i.e. Gawende calls killer steps) that must be followed.

It is surprising that it has taken three quarters of a century to be broadly adopted by the business community.You will ask: Has its application to business and management realised the sort of benefits experienced by the aviation and medical sector? You betcha.

It is has as much potential to affect productivity and decision making just as when Bethlehem Steel owner Charles Schwab parted company with serious money to reward a consultant to review how the steel work process can be improved. And the humble spiral note book become the 'it ‘ business accessory of the day.

Where else could the Checklist have relevance and major impact? Just about every aspect of life when applied. It has the potential to increase results, save money and has been shown save lives.

Such a tool when adopted could help close more sales, reduce rework, increase health and safety effectiveness , improve the performance of athletes, even help improve the results of investment decisions (as outlined by Gawande). And more, only limited by our imagination.

So what is the secret to developing a Checklist:

• It is simple and concise ( with no more than 7 items)
• Unlike a To Do list it only lists the critical points that must be undertaken ( Gawanda calls these killer items)
• Ideally used in groups of 2 or more people relies on people knowing each other and their roles
• Must be user friendly
• Can be Check and Do or Check then Do, in its form
• Takes 90 seconds to 2 minutes max. to complete
• Tested and refined in real life situations
• Can be done at specific pause points ( planes do it before they push back from the terminal then just before they rumble down the tarmac)

In summary the complexity that we now find ourselves apart has gone beyond the capability of one human being ( irrespective of how smart he or she could be).

Without an aid such as Checklist to human frailty and fallibility of the human memory. As Atul in his book #Checklist Manifesto makes mention the Checklist can best be used when there is humility by the decision makers in critical and complex stages and no longer the domain of one superhuman being.

If you are a leader in any area of the economy and looking to quantum improvement, and want to reap the reward of not relying on major investment or cost. With an effective communication and implementation program the Checklist is a no brainer. Even 75 years later after the initial Checklist came into use, it is still the potential force majeure.

Even in writing this blog using a Checklist:

• Identify topic
• Research and draft key points
• First draft
• Final Draft , sub edit, proof, spell & grammar check
• Headline- test
• Image- test

Seems okay . Now press Publish.

DARWIN AWARD for Sales people

I LOVE THE DARWIN Awards.

I can't imagine people being that, well... stupid!

Surely they must be urban myths and cannot be true.

Self selection giving evolution a helping hand by taking themselves out of the gene pool.

Maybe there should be a chapter for Sales people who put a lot of thought and effort into being sensationally unsuccessful in their pursuit of sales.

I have compiled a list of fatal sales process flaws and likely lack of success with a prospect even before they sit down. A self selection process that will certainly take them out of the gene pool of sales success, very quickly.

1/ What a stroke of luck, a car space next to the entrance.

Sales people are notoriously running 'just' on time, which often is judged as 5-7 minutes late. Rushing across town from one prospect to the next. Storming into the prospect's car park they will take the first available car park as close to the reception as possible to save those precious seconds.

Not seeing the sign which reserves the space for the Managing Director. In fairness sometimes there is no sign but it is 'common knowledge' that this is sacred land. The trespasser is unlikely to learn fast enough for future visits.

2/ Man I need a rest while I wait.

I will go on record that if you sit down in the reception area waiting for your client to come out of their office to meet for the first time you will not get the sale. Yes that is right. Tired or not, sitting whilst waiting for your prospect puts you in a major disadvantage when rising up as the prospect appears,the salesperson juggling iPhone briefcase, work papers as she simultaneously extends her hand like a circus soleil juggler. An awkward look the hapless salesperson immediately on the back foot. If you got a sale the last time you took to sit waiting, it is because they were desperate for what ever you were selling and not an overly bright monkey could have got the sale.

Even if you are tired and dying to take a few minutes off your feet. Don't.

3/ Yes Missy I am here for Mr Smith, Can you let him know!

Whilst I am sure most people are polite to the receptionist, sometimes salespeople do treat them patronisingly. Maybe its because of their age or their work is perceived as menial. Or maybe they have rushed across town and are a little off handed as a result. Never less a big mistake.

I was taught early in my career whilst not every one in an organisation can say YES everyone can say NO. You will never know what is said after you leave. Even a subtle enquiry by the receptionist to the manager. " Bob, who was that man?" says the receptionist. "Why?" says Bob. " Oh nothing, just he wasn't very friendly when he came in", she says. " Oh!" Says Bob. Strike one and now counting.

4/ Whoa, what a great set of...!

Even if the young receptionist is attractive, best keep those thoughts private. Moreover they shouldn't be shared with likes of the newly met prospect on the long walk to the meeting room.

Nepotism is not only found with the Bushs' and Clintons' in Washington, but is alive and well in small businesses where the owner's or manager's daughter might be earning some extra cash between university studies.

Its likely that when the salesperson calls back they may be patched through to the janitor or never to locate the manager they once met. Whilst also never comprehending why that once perky receptionist now sounds so offhanded.

5/ Chew gum at your leisure, Punk.

UK Skiffle king Lonnie Donegan sang about the taste qualities of chewing gum loosing its potency overnight, and medical research has found chewing gum can improve your memory, your health and even your sex life.

But chewing gum gives the impression of a badass, and mixed with pursuit of new business will prove fatal. In a professional environment  it shows a person with attitude. And who wants to buy from a person with attitude?

6/ Carrying baggage

Some people can’t let go the baggage they carry in and through the day.

A bad start with your partner or kids leaves the house and travels with you to your calls. Sometimes not easy but you have to leave your troubles at the front door, and if you must, pick them up when you return home. That black cloud follows you around and prospects see it like an aura surrounding you.

Similarly a bad end to the prior meeting can affect the next. You see it in sports athletes who make a major error on the field, and keep replaying it in their mind, as they try to focus on the next play.

7/ The Salvos your preferred designer Brand

My mum, no doubt like yours, preached the benefit of wearing clean underwear, and being in an accident. I think that the last thing I would be worrying about after involved in an accident. But that’s mothers for you.

Whilst very few salespeople I imagine turn up in their jocks their attention to their outer dress may leave a lot to be desired.

Unpressed shirts, "do you send your shirts out to be crumpled or do you it yourself?" you might ask. Slept-in suits (remember your dry cleaner is your friend not your enemy), un-cordinated ties and unclean well worn shoes. Whilst the state of someone's dress is apparent, the killer is the unpolished shoes. Maybe its part of my conditioning from, yes my mum the same one hang up on clean undies, but I automatically look at a person's feet, and can result with a damning perception of the standard and detail of the work even before a word has been said.

As they say you only have one chance to make a first impression.

8/ Wet fish handshake, a sweaty bod

Kinesthetic sense is a major, even subliminal, powerful way we perceive the world.

A light touch when we meet somebody can positively affect the outcome and success of a new relationship.

But the opposite can also occur with our first contact, the handshake.

We, often unconsciously, place a lot of immediate and long lasting importance on this. It should not be bone jarring, particularly with a male and a women meeting.

Nor should it be an insipid grip which reminds of handling a trout at the local fish market. Yuk!

Also important is the shape of the handshake. The attempt at a 'power handshake' by having your hand on top is a non-no. Whilst satisfying someones need for command and control is it is likely to kill the prospect of the sale

Also ignoring the olefatcor factor will have you on the nose. Arriving sweaty from the drive, or with a bad case of BO will certainly have the sales person memorable but for the wrong reasons. Deodorant is a must, and if you do wear perfume/ after shave a light dab rather than a heavy handed wallop.

9/ Dress for the Role not for Yourself

Many join in on the causal Friday dress code. And many don’t.

Irrespective of their code you should always aim to be slightly better dressed than the standard at the work site. Otherwise you might just get your days mixed ( "What I thought Friday was your dress down day?")

Some sales people dress to please their selves, not for the role. Let the sales results prove which is the preferred.

Don’t get me wrong I certainly am not a conservative in my style of address, nor am I big on conformity or uniform.

That is not the point.

Being dressed for the role is important and to be treated with common sense.

Also a creative person or tradesperson can give detrimental perception, even if they  turn up in a suit may be over dressed

Dress for the role.

Summary

These 'don'ts" might sound  pedantic and insignificant. Agreed. But they rightly or wrongly form the opinion of ourselves and our service or product.

I must admit that some, not all, I have been guilty of and found how important they were the hard way

People may buy our product or service, but in the end they buy from people. They buy from us.

And they're acceptance of us rests with how we mirror their perception and acceptances of their world.

Give yourself your best chance for success and not a reason to be rejected,  even before you sit with client to understand the problem.

Otherwise you may join the growing list of Darwin award winners.

7 Things I would tell a Younger me

 

What would you say to your younger self?

This is a question I pondered when I saw a photograph recently of a young man taken 30 years ago.

A picture of a young man with the innocence and bright eyes of hope and expectation.

About to graduate business school and enter a world with different rules and an environment harsher than the one he had grown up and protected from.

A photo I had never seen before, and couldn’t remember being taken, and one that rocked me some because the subject’s perceived naivety.

I wanted to ask him at that moment of time, what he hoped for, believed in, and what the future held?

In return I would give him the heads up. Maybe give him the edge to get ahead faster, further but not rob him of the challenge and exuberance of personal independence.

I saw as my 7 pearls of wisdom.A list that would not overwhelm him but serve him all his life. Give him a short cut.

"Keith, can I have a moment? Why yes” he says. "Who are you? You look familiar?” He adds.

"Lets say I know you and thought some words of advice might help. it could save you a lot of time, and emotion." I add.

"Yes, okay sounds okay."

“Please . If I could leave them with you, but then I must rush and won’t be able to discuss them.

"But we’ll catch up in the future.”

“Okay.” He looks bewildered and puzzled but respectful as I knew he would be.

I begin.

1/ What goes around, Comes around

Don’t worry where you start, it only matters where you finish. Over time those who finish first, will finish last and vice versa.

Life is unpredictable. Play the hand you are dealt. Never compare yourself with another be it money, skill, family, looks or material

goods. Because when we compare, we draw comparison with someone’s best with our worst. A comparison that will never win for you.

If you hang in there, and want it badly enough, you will achieve it, have it, or become it over time.

2/ Don’t become Good, become Great

The world is full of good people. Good has become the new normal of mediocre. If you think people are scared of failure wait to you find how people

are more afraid of something else. Success. Of being great. Why you might ask? You will be warned by others, people who are your closest

in a bid to save your from hurt, disappointment. Don’t aim so high. Have realistic expectations they will say. They know if you become great at something it threatens their own standing. Their own self esteem and acceptance of mediocre. The most competition takes place at the ‘good' level. Its rarified air where the “great’ populate. Aim for the stars. Live your dreams Remember the competition is at its most at the level of good.

3/ When the Student is ready, the Teacher will come.

You are about to graduate from RMIT. Good. Now the learning starts. You think now you have finished that you should be entitled to top dollar from the getgo.

Son the learning is only now about to start. Your ‘piece of paper’ just gets you into the game. It is no guarantee you will get a job, and if you do, you will feel you are underpaid for that job, fore in your mind it doesn’t match the level of effort and training you have had. You are about to learn a major life lesson, unless you are joining the public service, which you aren’t, you are paid in arrears for results not time. Your best employers' will select you on your attitude and not on your skill.

You are about to become part of one of the most dynamic periods of human existence and change will be exponential.You will be both challenged but rewarded if you keep ahead of the change continuum. The only thing you must do is become a life long learner. Many will not. There is the opportunity.

4/ In Credit we Distrust.

With prosperity, which you will be front centre of, will come all sort of ‘toys’ and 'must haves'. What’s more you will want it all, and now. You will not earn enough fast enough to pay for them all. Enter credit. Eager. Seducing banks and financial institutions.

You will appease your conscious knowing that there is arguably good debt and bad debt. I will not be able in your early years to stop you falling under the spell of such economic devices. But I do say to you seek out and learn to understand the concept of Compound Interest. Better known as the 8th wonder of the world.

5/ To have good friend, be a good friend

You have established good relationships with many friends, through family school and soon work. Many of these people will wash through your life, just as you will with them. That is not a disadvantage or a negative but whilst you have common goals your relationship will be tight and meaningful.

But as time, jobs and roles change so will the range and composition of these colleagues and associates. But a handful will mean more to you than others. But good friendships don’t just happen. They must be worked on continually and pro-actively.

Don’t wait for others to contact you, and remain aloof and remote. You must be willing to be a good friend first, to have good friends who will be there for you.

6/ Be a Goal setter, but also appreciate Happenstance and Serendipity.

You will be bitten early the need for lists and goal setting. In fact you will become a goal setting fanatic, that will rise to another level the day you find out about SMART.

But don’t become a good luck denier. Appreciate yes you do make some of your own luck, but there is a major part of life made of serendipitous occurrences and randomness.

Being in the right place at the right time. Meeting your future wife, a night you worked in a bar she walked in with friend, the day you called in in the off chance of seeing a mate and his boss offering you a job that would change your future. Your parents moving to he other side of town when you were 17 years, an action that was deliver your 15 minutes of fame.

So be on the look out for those opportunities that others may just call luck.

7/ You have but one thing. Time and not enough of it.

Understand as change accelerates in the very near future, it has an invert relation with Time. Relatively it becomes shorter.

You have arrived on Earth, and like everyone else, you have arrived with one thing (other than the fear of loud noises) and that is Time.

You have the same number of minutes in the hour, hours in the day, and days in the year. Your life will be run by the clock. Whilst people speak of getting more time, they can’t

You should look to leverage your own. Leveraging your money for greater return, in the least amount of time. Saving your own time by employing others, to leverage your skills and through the time and specialist training of others.

Minimising the wasting of your time through mechanical devices (whether that be through inventions of the future Microwaves, Computers, Blowers, and faster cars and jet planes.- on second thought forget I said blowers!)

When you apply your own time treat all things equal, but some things more equal than others. Base your allocation of your time according to priorities which flow from your goals. The challenge is to stop distractions ( your’s and other people’s) and appreciate Vilfredo Pareto’s 80/20 rule.

But remember its latter than you think. But not to late to learn.

Finally. Life is Short. Enjoy it. Don’t take it or yourself to seriously.

Laugh.Laugh often. Laugh louder and longer. And most importantly enjoy the ride! I know it is going to be a great one.

"Keith don’t worry if these things don’t make sense now. They will eventually.’ I finish.

"Oh no!” He says. " Some sound helpful. But I guess I am a different type than you.”He adds. "You seem a little heavy and too serious.And if you don’t mind me saying. A little spooky! I could never be you."

"Bye the way who is it we know in common?" He asks inquisitively.

"Sorry Keith, got to run. We will meet I am sure sometime in the future.” I finish.

"Wait, wait before you go!! “ He yells after me.

"Hey you left something.

"This rectangle thingy. With the bitten apple…"

"Hey you…."

A YOUNG WOMAN"S COURAGE is an example to us all

She is a young girl with a stick. I am terrified.

She is blind to the danger. I just watch in awe to see how courageous she is.

Let me explain. I live near a very busy intersection, which is the southern arterial into Melbourne CBD. An 8 lane high road (4 lanes each direction), which I daily walk cross, but never without great awareness and caution.

Apart from the thunderous roar of 180,00 cars, trucks and bikes daily the intersection has traffic lights to give direction to right and left turning traffic and, to when is safe, for pedestrians to cross. Even when I take guide from the 'green man' when to cross I do with the utmost of caution as vehicles run amber and red lights showing almost fatal disregard to others in a race across town to their destination.

To underpin my caution I unconsciously put my senses of hearing and sight on notice for danger as I cross for the unpredictability of drivers and riders.

Often I see this young blind girl with a white cane girl tentatively but confidently feel her way by a guiding her cane, hearing, and feeling her way.

How does she and many like her have the courage to do that? Have you ever seen someone like that and asked yourself? What if they get it wrong? Taking just one false step could be fatal.

With all her courage and risk involved in just getting to work or school( the Blind institute possibly her destination 3 kilometres away) she could show us a thing about how we could get from our own life. You see whilst she in conjunction with a 'seeing' guide would have repeatedly covered the route in preparation for her first solo trip and note key points to navigate future occasions, many we would be unawares of like the 'lego" pavement signalling to her she is approaching the intersection, and also using her sense of smell for trees and flowers to indicate her location.

But this young girl, and the many others like her can teach us a thing about life and how to be more adventuresome and successful.

But as good as her senses and helped by the many digital tools she obviously cannot know all the details and steps how to get from A to B. She takes risks just by venturing out of home in the belief they have the preparation and skills to get from one side of the city to the other.

But often in our setting of our goals we hesitate to take action and step forward until we see al the steps to the destination. We suffer bouts of procrastination and falter to take action because we cannot see all the steps in high detail.

So our goals are on the wimpish side. We are risk adverse.

In these circumstances, if we stretch at best, our goals will be just outside our comfort zone. If this had always the case we wouldn't have a man on the moon and someone like Richard Branson would be a record store owner. Christopher Columbus would have taken 15 century tourists on day jaunts off the Spanish coats and Australian PM , Tony Abbott still a concrete plant manager(which in this case may have been a good thing.)

In our goals we must accept to make great progress in our life, we may not see all the detail or steps along the way. But trust our ability, our learned skills and hone our senses to pick up on the clues and the talisman along our route to our destination.

Life is risky. Our goals have options of risk and failure. Just as Columbus did to take the risk of his life and leave the safety of the shoreline. But the risk makes the achievement so much sweeter. Kennedy would never have made the statement in 1960 to go where no man has gone before if he thought it would not have motivated and galvanised a nation. (He was to pay the ultimate price in his goal to unify his presidency when he travelled south to Dallas that fateful day in November 1963.)

A critical characteristic of entrepreneurs is they have a scotoma which is a partial blind spot in their vision. I know in ventures I have started there were blind spots that latter when I realised, I shuddered and say to myself "what was I thinking?"

One major venture I started in a recession with limited promise of clients. I do wonder if i new then what I know now, I would have taken the punt and ventured past my own shore.

Inspirational speaker Denis Waitley nailed it when he said: "A dream is your creative vision for your life in the future. You must break out of your current comfort zone and become comfortable with the unfamiliar and the unknown.

Our comfort zone can be our greatest challenge to our ability to achieve our destiny and promised greatness. Setting goals within our comfort zone can at the best promise that we can ever achieve above 'good'. We are likely to die with songs unsung, books unwritten, sporting records unchallenged and egos unfractured.

But if we do?

Can be summed up by Tan Le; "I have stepped outside my comfort zone enough to know that yes, the world doe fall apart but not in the way we fear."