The new power tool – the checklist?

Time Magazine recently identified the world’s 100 most influential people. There were the usual candidates – the Dalai Lama, Bush, Putin, Brangelina, etc. But one name stands out for his humble yet game-changing innovation. Dr. Peter Pronovost’s idea was laughably simple. He introduced the lowly checklist into surgery theaters around the country and the world. The result? According to Time, Pronovost “may have saved more lives than any laboratory scientist in the past decade”. They have the potential to save over 90,000 lives and $11 billion a year.

You can read a fascinating article on his story at that most staid of medical journals, The New Yorker.

Checklists work because surgery is complicated. And the most mundane activity can make a big difference. Sound familiar? Today’s branded response campaigns have many, many moving parts. Constant turnover in marketing departments and support agencies make quality even tougher to achieve. Keeping checklists and empowering support staff to enforce their use could make all the difference to your next campaign.