Has your brain ever convinced you that it remembers exactly how to complete a task?
Perhaps it whispered to you that checklists are for beginners, newbies to the department. And you’ve been doing this long enough that it would be downright embarrassing to be seen following a checklist.
And so of course you agree with your brain and complete the task without a checklist or a look-up in your SOPs. I mean, especially when you're busy, who has time to find and follow a checklist or look up the procedure!
And your always-reliable brain has convinced you that it has your back…
Or … does it?
Because you know how this plays out, right? Somewhere down the road, you realize that an important step was overlooked.
Yikes!
The wisest course is to correct the oversight.
When it comes to SBA lending, going back (if possible) and correcting the skipped step can be critical to keeping your guarantee intact.
Okay, all well and good, but …
What if you don't know there was a critical step missed?
Now we’re really in Yikes! territory. Because this will come back to bite you when SBA reviews your loans. And depending on the importance of the missed step, it will either be a mild nip … or a major chomp.
Let’s avoid the tooth marks!
Checklists and SOPs – Standard Operating Procedures – are not just for beginners or newbies or less-experienced people.
They’re there to give your brain a break from having to focus on remembering the details of every step and every procedure.
Your brain has enough to do, dealing with the day-to-day stress of work and life these days.
So don’t let it talk you into something you’ll regret later. Pull out that checklist and look up that procedure.
Need help creating procedures or checklists? Check out our recent article on Components of a Great Procedure
Want to double-check your current loan portfolio for possible missed steps? Let’s talk. Here’s the link to schedule a consultation.
And remember: even neurosurgeons use checklists!