Types of Checklist: “READ-DO” checklist and “DO-CONFIRM” checklist

Introduction

A comprehensive classification of checklists likely does not exist anywhere in the world. On the “So List” blog, you can explore six types of checklists: the two already mentioned, along with several more exotic ones, including defensive and negative checklists (the first is also known as preventive checklist), dynamic checklists, and stable checklists.

Some sources on the Internet go even further and describe troubleshooting checklists or coordination checklists. There is no blog post on troubleshooting checklist or coordination checklist on “So List” right now, but they might appear in the future.

However, I feel we are still far from a complete classification. Why should I be optimistic in the area if humanity has only begun to seriously study simple lists a few years ago?

You might think this dire state of affairs would discourage the author of this blog, but it does not. After all, there is an opportunity to do better investigations in books and articles and present their results to readers.

This blog post covers two of the most famous checklist types: the “READ-DO” and “DO-CONFIRM” checklists.

But first, let’s make a brief digression.

A Small Digression

One principle of formulating a well-defined task states [1]:

Every task should start with a verb.

Since a checklist is a set of tasks designed to achieve a predetermined goal or verify its achievement (there is a blog post on this topic!), this advice is quite applicable.

After this small digression, we will explore the “READ-DO” and “DO-CONFIRM” checklists through examples.

Let’s Create Checklists and See Their Types

Creating the “READ-DO” List

Let's assume our goal is to maintain order in emails, messengers, and social networks. Relying solely on our memory no longer works as there is quite a bit more than just one task to do. To achieve this, we can create a daily checklist with well-formulated items:

☐ Check emails in personal email inbox
☐ Process emails in work email inbox
☐ Sort messages in personal messenger
☐ Sort messages in the family messenger
☐ Process messages in work messenger
☐ Sort messages in social network “A”
…
☐ Sort messages in social network “B”

This checklist contains actions and is a “READ-DO” checklist, or action checklist. It includes the repetitive tasks necessary to maintain order in our communication tools. Therefore, the “READ-DO” checklist is responsible for the first part of the checklist’s definition and is defined as:

If you feel inspired by this basic example to improve your digital hygiene, please note that this is not a good checklist. Its flaw lies in the tasks, which can involve an unpredictable amount of work. There may be 0 emails, or there may be 100.

To address this unpredictability, the checklist items need to be more detailed. This was discussed in one of the previous materials. It describes the steps required for making checklists.

Here is an interesting example of the “READ-DO” checklist from the “Checklist Manifesto” book [2]:

Here are the details of one of the sharpest checklists I’ve seen, a checklist for engine failure during flight in a single-engine Cessna airplane—the US Airways situation, only with a solo pi- lot. It is slimmed down to six key steps not to miss for restarting the engine, steps like making sure the fuel shutoff valve is in the OPEN position and putting the backup fuel pump switch ON. But step one on the list is the most fascinating. It is simply: FLY THE AIRPLANE. Because pilots sometimes become so desper- ate trying to restart their engine, so crushed by the cognitive overload of thinking through what could have gone wrong, they forget this most basic task. FLY THE AIRPLANE. This isn’t rigid- ity. This is making sure everyone has their best shot at survival.

Creating the “DO-CONFIRM” List

Now, let’s assume you want to enhance your digital order with the help of an information radiator. You need to display information indicating whether everything has been checked. Imagine there is a small screen next to your workplace. There is limited space on it, but the screen's purpose is not to guide you to digital order, but rather to confirm or deny its existence:

☐ Email inboxes are empty
☐ No unread messages in messengers
☐ No unread messages in social networks

These three items constitute a “DO-CONFIRM” checklist, or inspection checklist. They are more aligned with the goal of achieving order in emails, messengers, and social networks than with actionable steps. In this example, you are the inspector; however, this is not always the case, as inspections can sometimes be conducted externally. Anyway, it’s one more useful form of checklist.

Here comes the definition of the “DO-CONFIRM” checklist:

This checklist type is also one to read aloud before surgery and during in-plane activities.

By the way, the Definition of Done, mentioned earlier in this blog, is ideally expressed as an inspection checklist.

One More Note

In the examples above, the action checklist is used alongside the inspection checklist, but this is not always the case. It’s more often that one type stands alone. When only the inspection checklist is present, its users may have more freedom of action. When only the action checklist is in place, its users have clearer guidance.

The “Checklist Manifesto” on Types of Checklists

In the book “The Checklist Manifesto”, surgeon Atul Gawande discusses his experience in creating a checklist for the World Health Organization. The goal of the checklist he developed was to improve postoperative care and reduce mortality and complications after surgical procedures worldwide.

This is an ambitious goal, given the wide range of conditions under which surgeries are performed globally. Unifying the circumstances surrounding surgeries worldwide seems unrealistic. The “READ-DO” format is insufficient because its actions are too specific. When an action becomes overly specific, it is unlikely to fit the context of its execution. Instead, the “DO-CONFIRM” format is more appropriate. Here’s what Gawande writes about their difference:

Back in Boston, I set my research team to work making our fledgling surgery checklist more usable. We tried to follow the lessons from aviation. We made it clearer. We made it speedier. We adopted mainly a DO-CONFIRM rather than a READ-DO format, to give people greater flexibility in performing their tasks while nonetheless having them stop at key points to confirm that critical steps have not been overlooked. The checklist emerged vastly improved.

Similar, but Different Types

It turns out that although action checklists and inspection checklists are very similar, differences in their wording reveal fundamental distinctions.

Action checklists are akin to operational definitions and can be used to reach precise results in predictable circumstances.

Inspection checklists, as the name suggests, are used to verify the results of work. However, they can also provide performers with greater freedom in unpredictable situations.

Chose the type that provides you better performance and better precision. Each of the described types is a good tool in hands of its user.

Conclusion

If you not only want to understand the different types of checklists but also wish to create them, consider reading the dedicated blog post. It offers guidelines on how to create an effective checklist.

Additionally, do not confuse a checklist with a to-do list; they are different tools. A to-do list is used to manage your daily life and keep your tasks organized, while a checklist helps guide you toward a specific goal. Someone even calls a to-do list a to-do checklist as it contains checkboxes, but it is still a to-do list.

Was it enlightening to discover two types of checklists and learn about even more? Subscribe to the “So List” blog so you won’t miss other tips about these subtle yet powerful tools. Are you already familiar with them? I doubt it — there are too many secrets they hold. Moreover, you’ll receive the checklist creation prompt mentioned above.

List of Links

[1] “Three simple rules for writing great tasks for your to-do list” from the “Amazing Marvin” blog
[2] Atul Gawande “The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right”, ISBN 978-0312430009