flow is the key
About checklist use, I think an average flow is better than a great checklist. There are a huge number of checklist items to be checked AFTER the cabin door is closed in our B1900D for example. That's not too great when the cabin temp is hovering near 100 degrees F and the pax are restless to get some AC going. We finally got approved to use a home brewed checklist that got the job done much faster, and in my opinion much safer, and life was better for a while. Still, I knew of a better way to do it, but alas couldn't get a signoff for it from higher ups, so we use the checklist when the big wigs are on board and use CIGAARR when they are not (Controls (box the stick, check and set the flaps), Instruments (gyros, ASI, VSI, mag compass, on both sides), Gas (mains and aux's), Attitude (trims set), Airplane (check all annunciators on the master warning and caution panels), Runup (runup complete and autofeather on), Radios (NAVs/COMMs set, departure briefed including v speeds).
I can get from battery on to the runway, ready to go, in under four minutes without hurrying. Using the approved Beech checklist, it's much longer and very easy to miss items because the damn checklist is just too long and has no flow to it whatsoever.