This is the age of technology. We have accumulated stupendous knowhow and put this in the hands of some of the most highly trained, highly skilled and hardworking people in our society. Many times, in spite of all this, the know-how is unmanageable. In order to manage this, checklists were developed. It is almost four generations since the first checklists went into use in aviation sector during World War II. Checklists seem to be able to defend not only the inexperienced but also the experts. They are supposed to provide a cognitive net that catches mental flaws inherent in all of us. The flaws may be of memory, attention or thoroughness. Thus, checklists raise wide and unexpected possibilities. But they have their own limitations too. And because they do, it is the user’s discretion to identify which kind of situations checklists can help with and which one they cannot. This paper focuses on what checklists can do. The paper aims at understanding the logic and methodology of checklists and how it enhances the performance. Creating and using checklist is a subtle art (soft skill) which comes from experience and know-how.

Know-how and sophistication are the catch words in today’s world. They have increased exponentially across almost all realms of endeavor, and this has resulted in certain complexities in the work processes. Hence, we witness frequent mistakes in day-to-day functioning, especially when natural calamities and other emergencies big and small occur. Such failures not only result in disasters but also carry an emotional turmoil that seems to cloud how we think about them. We can forgive failures of ignorance. Contrary to it, if the knowledge of the best thing exists and is not applied correctly, it is difficult not to be infuriated. It is not for nothing that the philosophers gave these failures so unmerciful a name—ineptitude (Gawande, 2011). Those at the receiving end use other words like negligence or even heartlessness. Nobody can dispute the value of experience. One needs practice to achieve mastery, a body of experience before one achieves real success. And as the case may be, many times, if it is lack of skill, then what we need is simply more training and practice. Training for these emergency skills is now longer and more intense than ever.

Soft Skills Journal, Impact, Checklist, Job Performance, Taught Us, Benefits of Using, Networkin, Some Applications, About Checklists, Exploratory Study.