Celebrate National Checklist Day - National WHAT?
A couple of years ago, a rare bird showed up in the town where I live. Specifically, it was a restored WWII Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress—a heavy bomber that was an instrumental tool in the Allied victory. Fewer than 50 remain today, and only 11 of those reportedly still fly. I’m a real history buff and was lucky to take a tour of that awesome warbird. 
When I offered to write an article about National Checklist Day, I thought I’d find myself exploring the history of some busy business professional who’d come up with a catchy holiday to commemorate developing a tool to keep him/herself focused and productive.
Instead, I learned something new about the B-17. It is the reason that October 30th marks National Checklist Day. Read the full story and access Media Partners' top Checklist Tools below.
An Incredibly Useful Tool is Born
Back in the mid-1930s when the plane was introduced, its inaugural flight went badly. But the crash that resulted lead to the realization that aircraft had become far more complex. We all-too-fallible humans could no longer rely solely on our memories to ensure completion of all the pre-take-off activities required for safe air travel.
And so, the pre-flight checklist was born. It’s still used today throughout the aircraft industry, by manufacturers, pilots, mechanics, flight attendants—you name it. Checklists also see routine use in many other settings, from hospital operating rooms to software development firms. These handy tools are prevalent across most any industry you can think of.
In our personal lives, too, who doesn’t use a list? Whether to avoid leaving 
the supermarket without that quart of milk or bag of dog food you went for, to keeping your upcoming appointments straight, checklists are a time-tested tool that continue to help us overburdened humans sort ourselves out.
Media Partners Has Free Checklists and Tools for You
In our busy business world, Media Partners knows the power of checklists and related tools to provide fast, how-to guidance when it’s needed. As we salute the enduring value of checklists on this October 30th, we invite you to tap into the power of a few of the handy tools we’ve created to make your workday a little easier:
☑ Organizational Health: Check the 4 Vital Signs
☑ 5 Easy Ways to Improve Communication in the Workplace 
☑ Leading Organizational Change – The Dos and Don’ts (Infographic)
☑ 3 Crucial Communication Tips for Leaders
☑ 5 Ways Managers Show Respect to Employees
☑ Kickstarting a Growth Mindset ─ in Yourself and Others
☑ Task Management Tool: 6 Questions to Ask Before You Start a Task
☑ 11 Tips for Motivating Your Team
☑ L&D Tips for Driving Successful Leaders-as-Teachers Programs
☑ L&D Tip Sheet on Knowledge Sharing
☑ Build a Culture of Accountability: A 4-Step Strategy for L&D
☑ 5 Ways L&D Can Help Managers Drive Soft Skills Training
☑ Leading Brainstorming in the Workplace: Your Free How-to Guide
If you could use a checklist, tip sheet, or other quick-reference tool on another Media Partners training topic, let us know. We’ll add it to our list of new tools to develop!
