Sometimes, tasks are one-offs, unreliable, or demand that you take steps dynamically on some trigger condition, rather than as a series of steps. For example, if I’m working in the bio-safety cabinet in my lab, I need to re-wet my hands with ethanol if I take them out. If I spill something, I need to re-sterilize. Each experiment might place its own demands.
So in addition to checklists, I think it’s important to develop the complementary skill of cognizance. It’s a habit of mind, in which you constantly quiz yourself with each action about what you’re trying to do, how it’s done, why, what could go wrong, and how to avoid those outcomes.
For some tasks, the vast majority of errors might be in a few common categories, most effectively addressed with a checklist. For others, the vast majority of errors might come down to a wide range of hard-to-predict situational factors, best avoided with a habit of cognizance.
Sometimes, tasks are one-offs, unreliable, or demand that you take steps dynamically on some trigger condition, rather than as a series of steps. For example, if I’m working in the bio-safety cabinet in my lab, I need to re-wet my hands with ethanol if I take them out. If I spill something, I need to re-sterilize. Each experiment might place its own demands.
So in addition to checklists, I think it’s important to develop the complementary skill of cognizance. It’s a habit of mind, in which you constantly quiz yourself with each action about what you’re trying to do, how it’s done, why, what could go wrong, and how to avoid those outcomes.
For some tasks, the vast majority of errors might be in a few common categories, most effectively addressed with a checklist. For others, the vast majority of errors might come down to a wide range of hard-to-predict situational factors, best avoided with a habit of cognizance.