Checklists are a Universal Quality and Safety Tool

I love checklists. Airline pilots use them. Surgeons, nurses, safety professionals, quality engineers, and individuals in every high-stakes profession use them. Thank goodness. What checklists do managers employ to strengthen their effectiveness? What items are on your checklist?

Judging by the Gallup data on the miserable state of employee engagement worldwide, there aren’t many managers holding themselves accountable to a checklist.

Or, if they are, they’re using the wrong list.

Managers can use this simple daily checklist to strengthen their effectiveness, promote improved employee engagement, and enhance performance.

A 12-Item Daily Checklist to Strengthen Your Effectiveness as a Manager

  1. I commit to helping them succeed today? Reminder: if they succeed, I succeed.
  2. Secondly, am I committed to creating value for them at every encounter today?
  3. Have I recently (within the last week) reminded them how their work supports key organizational goals?
  4. Reminder: monitor my behaviors today (every day) to ensure I’m building and not damaging trust.
  5. Instead of expecting them to come to me, I should take the initiative to approach them and engage on their terms.
  6. Furthermore, am I prepared to spend time observing team members in action and then offer timely positive and constructive feedback? Remember, these good people want meaningful, timely feedback.
  7. Reminder: ask them how they are doing and listen hard for ways to help. Show them you care!
  8. Remember: as I observe individuals on my team, note what they are doing that excites and energizes them and explore ways to get them involved in more of that type of work.
  9. Remember that my questions teach. I need to keep my questions-to-comments ratio as high as possible.
  10. Ensure the Rules of the Road (group values) are clear and visible in our work environment. Draw them into our discussions and coach based on these values constantly.
  11. If I make a mistake, I will apologize instantly.
  12. Remind yourself to ask for feedback on performance each day.

The Bottom Line for Now:

Be accountable to this daily checklist. Review the list in the morning and make a commitment to the actions that will strengthen your effectiveness as a manager. Assess your outcomes at the end of the day, indicating your successes and areas for improvement for tomorrow. Repeat this process, striving to fulfill your checklist every day. The results will take care of themselves.

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If you are ready to transform the manager role in your organization, consider signing up your team for an upcoming session of the Manager Development Program.