When is your error a mistake?

Do you know the difference between an error and a mistake?  Let’s pick on BP to find out.

Dr Wally was fond of saying that every system has an error rate.  This is not the same as Murphy’s Law, which states that if anything can go wrong, it will.  What Dr Wally meant is that systems are inherently unstable, mainly because nothing is perfect and because things change.  This instability can result in random errors, making it almost impossible to trace the cause – and also making any attempt to do so a waste of time and effort.

What should you do when a random error strikes?  Don’t become frustrated.  Be willing to adapt and to make adjustments.  Be resilient and carry on.
You may never find the cause of a random error.  But if you do, then fix it!  Because, as Orlando Battista pointed out, “An error doesn’t become a mistake until you refuse to correct it.”

I’m James McIntosh at nonsenseatwork.com

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© 2010 James Henry McIntosh - nonsenseatwork.com