Do you (check)list?
I like lists. I like to make lists. I like to read lists. I like rankings. I like order. I am not alone in this.
There is the Bill of Rights, the 10 Commandments, David Letterman’s Top Ten, and Santa’s naughty list. Arya Stark kept a list of her, um, enemies. Film, music, and sports are filled with lists. There is a reason that lists are so prevalent and ubiquitous in our world. Lists have been a tool for organization and amusement since exactly forever.
Have you ever gone grocery shopping without a list? It can go badly – you forget what you need and bring home more impulse purchases than perhaps you should (those dark chocolate covered peanut butter filled pretzels are pretty amazing, but you were there for dog food).
Right, medical writing. Every project has steps. Often many steps. Often many projects. Lots to sift through. Can you rely on winging it? Bravo, you win if you can, but I can’t. I need to make lists. And I think that you should too.
Successful document development requires thoughtful organizing and reorganizing of information. Part of this is laying out all the component aspects of a clinical program; and ingrained in that are individual project timelines. This is all very big picture and your role in that picture might be a great deal more focused. But keeping all aspects of the project in order is critical to the success of the whole. Every contributor to the process has a responsibility to remain organized.
However dynamic your job is, keeping a list of your responsibilities is a good practice to make sure that you can meet the needs of the people and processes that rely on you. For a medical writer, this includes an accurate list of your projects and their timelines. A project timeline is like a recipe. The order of operations is important and getting all the steps completed is the only way to achieve the desired outcome.
The easiest way to ensure that you have all the tasks covered is to make a list. I am partial to notebooks and Post-It notes, but there are a multitude of tools and ways to visualize your lists. There are software platforms for project workflows, timeline managers, kanban boards, and Gantt charts. You can use an erasable marker board, a chalkboard, a daily calendar, cocktail napkins, or your smartphone.
Everyone needs lists in one form or another. Once you have your own lists, you can organize, sort, revise, circle, check off, and cross off. All great fun. The lists you create should be in whatever format or level of detail that works for you.
So make a list. Check it twice. Don’t be naughty.
VP, Acumen Medical Communications