Documentation: the first step in laboratory management.

This article will try to point out an often over-looked tool of management that most laboratory technologists are familiar with. The laboratory technologists that suddenly find themselves as chief technologists or managers would do well to remember their bench training. Specifically, document everything you do. The article lists suggestions and examples pertaining to documentation, that chief technologists could well benefit from. Four specific examples of documentation forms are as follows, (1) Pre-employment evaluation interview, (2) Laboratory orientation check list, (3) Documentation of employee counseling, and (4) Report of corrective interview.