How to make a checklist people actually use

Checklists catch the step everyone knows and occasionally skips. Length is what decides whether they are used.

Checklists work because expertise does not prevent omission. Skilled people miss steps when tired, interrupted or busy — which is exactly when the consequences are worst.

Step-by-step

1. List the items that must not be missed.
2. Keep it short.
3. Set the pause point — where in the work it gets used.
4. Print it, with real tickboxes.

Short enough to be used

Five to nine items is the usual guidance from aviation and surgery, where checklists have been studied seriously. Longer ones get skipped, or ticked without being read, which is worse than not having one because it manufactures false confidence.

A checklist is not a procedure. It does not contain every step — only the ones that are critical and skippable.

Only include what is both critical and easy to miss

Obvious steps nobody forgets add length without value. Steps that are not critical add length without value. The items worth including sit at the intersection: consequential, and genuinely forgettable under pressure.

Say when it is used

A checklist with no defined moment does not get used. Before switching on, before sending, before the customer arrives — attach it to a specific point in the work.

Test it, and revise it

Use it in real conditions and watch what happens. Items consistently ticked without being read should be removed. If something was missed that is not on the list, add it. A checklist that has never been revised has probably never been used properly.

Frequently asked questions

How long should a checklist be?

Five to nine items. Longer ones get skipped or ticked without reading, which is worse than none because it creates false confidence.

What should go on it?

Only items that are both critical and easy to forget. Obvious steps and unimportant ones add length without adding safety.

Should it be paper or on a screen?

Paper works well for this, because physically ticking each box forces engagement with the line in a way that scrolling does not.