Checklists aren’t just for pilots.
In aviation, a checklist can be the difference between a routine flight and a disaster. But outside the cockpit, too many teams still rely on memory, assumptions, or “just winging it.”
Why?
Checklists reduce cognitive load. They create consistency. They catch preventable errors. And they free up mental space for higher-level thinking.
Industries like healthcare, construction, finance, and software should be using them as rigorously as aviation does.
In hospitals: a checklist before surgery saves lives. In project management: a checklist keeps scope creep from sneaking in. In code deployment: a checklist can stop a million-dollar bug.
Checklists aren’t about micromanaging smart people. They’re about protecting their focus.
Smart teams don’t skip the basics—they build systems to make sure the basics always happen.
What’s one checklist you’ve created that’s made your work better?
Leska Consulting 