As this news story highlights, checklists have their shortcomings. The article talks about an Uber driver who passed the usual background screening. He  also drove for Lyft for just over a year, ending in September 2018, so it appears that he also passed their background check. The only problem is, at the time of these screenings, he was an accused war criminal. And, recently, he “…was found liable for torture in his native Somalia in a U.S. court…, concluding a 15-year-long civil suit.”

According to the CEO of the background screening company, “This is really an edge case. this individual does not have a criminal history in the U.S. or is on any international sanctions list.” He also pointed out that the driver had been screened by TSA and other government agencies, “so there’s really no criminal data we can report on that individual.” And he’s right. This individual passed every check on every list.

So what went wrong? How did we get from following the process and the rules to more bad press and even more processes? The problem with checklists is that we get so caught up in our lists and our processes, and we forget two important things:

1. We forget about “What Else?” – Yes, he passed the criminal check and didn’t show up on any sanctions lists. But what about what hasn’t wound up in criminal courts or been finalized in the form of a sanction? In this situation, there was an ongoing civil case in U.S. court, which likely would have been found during a civil court search, and records usually reveal the allegations. Which leads me to the second thing we forget…
2. We forget about “Why?” – He passed the usual criminal checks, yet there’s something on the civil side. Granted, the case wasn’t decided at the time, but it was ongoing, and it raises a big red flag and should remind us about why we’re screening potential drivers in the first place. Corporate speak aside, it boils down to just one question: Would you trust this person to drive – possibly late at night – your daughter, son, or parent to their intended destination? Something to think about during your background screening.

To be fair, it’s standard practice in employment, regulatory, and tenant checks to skip the civil court records, and, in some situations, federal and state laws limit how far back you can search. I’ve even seen some due diligence investigations, for which these regulations don’t apply, cover just criminal cases. That’s why we look at news, social media, civil filings, tax liens, and more for other signs of trouble. Taking in the big picture, instead of just following the small steps. 

Whether it’s your next business partner or the person who will be transporting loved ones – it pays to remember that checklists, by definition, cover the just bare minimum. Take a step or two beyond the basics and remember What Else and, most of all, remember your Why.

The post The problem with checklists appeared first on Marcy Phelps and Associates.

While listening to a recent episode of one of my favorite podcasts, Hidden Brain, I learned about the work of surgeon Atul Gawande and his book, The Checklist Manifesto. As a frequent user of checklists – which really come in handy when you’re running a business and trying to have a life – I was hooked, and I immediately bought the book.

In it, Gawande writes about his extensive research into finding a way to reduce preventable errors in surgery, which led him to explore the effectiveness of checklists. He studied their use in aviation, building construction, and financial investing. He found that specialization and super specialization aren’t enough, because even the experts make mistakes. Gwande concluded that checklists work – for many reasons, including:

1. Establishing the minimum steps necessary
2. Verifying what steps have been completed
3. Creating discipline
4. Setting standards for higher performance

The author also emphasizes that checklists benefit practitioners in all industries, which, of course, made me think about investigations. I realized that, while I’ve created checklists for some processes, as a solopreneur I tend to keep my checklists in my head, relying on memory rather than committing them to paper. And sometimes I forget to use them. Time for a checklist makeover. 

First, what are some best practices? According to Gawande, good checklists are precise, efficient, and easy to use. They don’t spell everything out and, instead, provide reminders of the most critical and important steps. They’re also “practical and field-tested.” An effective checklist needs clearly defined “pause points” for decision-making and evaluation. Use brief, clear language and organize your checklist in a user-friendly format. We also need need different types of checklists: One with all the tasks, and one for communications (checkpoints for information sharing before proceeding to the next steps). 

But what about preparing for the unexpected? Like surgery, once an investigation gets started, we can’t anticipate what we’ll find that could mean a change in direction. That’s when your communication plan, or your pause points, come into play. Stop, evaluate, and recalibrate.

It’s important to note – and not covered enough in the book – is that checklists are dynamic. Build in the specified timing and process for updating, and review for outdated assumptions (e.g., changing client needs). Does your checklist still accomplish what it’s designed to accomplish? Technologies, sources, and priorities change, and so do our processes.

Also not emphasized enough in the book is the role of teamwork in developing and maintaining checklists. For example, when Mary Ellen Bates joined the team as our media researcher, I shared with her a checklist I had been using. After just a short time, we both realized that – while the checklist worked for me while I worked alone – it wasn’t working for us as a team. We spent an entire day tearing apart our processes and revising the checklist. Now we both know the minimum requirements for the media report, when to veer from standard procedure, and critical check-in points.

The Checklist Manifesto definitely wasn’t one of my favorite books. It was difficult to get through, and I’ll admit to my fair share of skimming. But it’s motivated me to update my old checklists and create some new ones. It’s also provided some important guidelines and reminders on how to make them more effective. Here are some checklists that I’m working on now:

1. Background investigations (other than the media report)
2. Media report
3. Information Security Program policies and procedures
4. Blogging tasks
5. Presentations
6. Travel/packing
7. Holidays

What checklists do you use to stay on task?  

The post The ins and outs of checklists appeared first on Marcy Phelps and Associates.

Those who know me know that I’m a big fan of GTD – or Getting Things Done. Developed by David Allen, GTD is a system for “stress-free productivity” in work and life. It’s a way of dealing with the physical and mental information clutter that slows us down and frees up bandwidth for more focused, creative thinking. One caveat – You don’t just start “doing” GTD. It takes a while to find what works for you and how to incorporate the system into your workflow.

Evernote is a software product for collecting, saving, and finding all those pieces of information related to work and family projects. That’s where I keep conference notes, ideas for upcoming articles and presentations, travel documents, Christmas lists, and more. Since Evernote syncs with my phone, tablet, and computer, everything is right where I need it. Free and fee versions are available.

I’m working more and more with visual information, and SnagIt screen-capture software from TechSmith helps me crop images, create professional-looking presentation slides, and snag important screens from webinars. At $49.95 USD, it’s more than paid for itself in terms of my time.

What are your favorite tools for managing information overload?

The post Taming the information monster appeared first on Marcy Phelps and Associates.