Accepting Quote by Donald Berwick
“We must accept human error as inevitable - and design around that fact.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Health Care Quality Conference, 2015
Human mistakes are unavoidable; systems must be built to anticipate and mitigate them.
In simple terms: Accept error, design resilient systems.
Key Takeaway
Design for error, not just perfection.
Themes
error management
system design
resilience
Mood
pragmatic
analytical
Type
professional
inspirational
When to use this quote
- healthcare
- software development
- manufacturing
Key Concepts
human factors
process engineering
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you embed safeguards without stifling innovation?
- What cultural changes support error‑tolerant environments?
A Different Perspective
Over‑reliance on design may ignore human adaptability.
