Maximizing Workplace Outcomes and Behaviors: Checklists, Yes; Check the Box, No

Checklists save lives. That’s the key theme of Brigham and Women’s physician Atul Gawande’s insightful new book, The Checklist Manifesto. Dr. Gawande reports how following short, precise checklists in disciplines ranging from medicine to aviation fosters teamwork and helps prevent process omissions and surfaces flaws that, if ignored, could have catastrophic results. Following checklists has lowered infection and complication rates in surgery and helped pilots land aircraft safely in desperate situations, as epitomized by U.S. Airlines’ Sully Sullenberger’s “Miracle on the Hudson.” In these and other examples cited by Dr. Gawande, teams of professionals following required checklist actions develop routines that improve everyday performance, as well as those arising in moments of crisis.

We know that disruptive workplace behaviors and unprofessional conduct cause distractions that can lead team members to omit key steps in surgery or fail to adjust wing flaps at the right time. Additionally, unprofessional behaviors can keep colleagues and team members from raising concerns at critical instants, just when their vocal alerts are most needed. Catastrophes have resulted in both kinds of situations, and it‘s clear that specific behavioral checklists that could help prevent such disasters are not used with the same rigor as technical checklists covering healthcare practices and flight protocols. The reason is that acting in line with consistent, professional behavioral standards is not widely recognized as an element of performance as critical as adhering to standard operational processes. Instead, disruptive conduct that distracts attention and stifles concerns is often seen as collateral, rather than central, to obtaining the best outcomes. That’s changing, but not fast enough.

As a result, instead of implementing and enforcing consistent, simple behavioral standards, too many organizations default to a different regulatory compliance approach. They set up systems to make sure the right boxes are checked to establish proof that policies, training, and communication required by legal obligations have accurate information and are distributed to the right audiences. They choose not to employ ongoing behavioral checklists and accountabilities to affect long-term cultural change and overall performance. A check-the-box approach to behavior considers the following:

Checking the Box

• Did we develop the right policies (harassment, discrimination, safety, etc. )?
• Have we sent them out?
• Have we trained people on the policies?
• Is the legal information provided complete and accurate?
• Can we document that people got information and were trained in case we have a claim?
• When is the next time we need to repeat and document this process?

These are important in terms of building defenses for lawsuits and limiting damages. Here’s how to build a behavioral checklist that will impact workplace conduct and improve performance while also meeting regulatory requirements.

Building a Behavioral Checklist

• Have we developed a short list of key behaviors to avoid that cause distraction, disruption, and risk, addressing not only specifically what is said but also surrounding communication elements including physical contact, tone of voice, and body language?
• Have we made sure that following the behavioral checklist is seen as an element of professional, vital performance for which all team members are responsible and accountable?
• Have we involved all team members in applying these checklists? Does everyone understand their responsibility, part of which is to speak up about problems including out-of-line behaviors that jeopardize outcomes?
• Have we made sure the checklist is actually followed routinely and that leaders support its implementation?

So the key issue in looking at an approach to managing workplace conduct is this: Do we want to include behaviors in checklists that influence outcomes or check boxes to prove we did something we felt compelled to document? Follow the latter, and you may avoid or limit damage claims; follow the former, and you’ll accomplish that same result while improving workplace performance and safety.