--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Eliminate the cause of a mistake. Don't…" description: "\"Eliminate the cause of a mistake. Don't just clean it up.\" — J. Willard Marriott" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ef/j-willard-marriott-27320_causes_eliminate-the-cause-of-a-mistake-don-t-j_433578.png" --- # Eliminate the cause of a mistake. Don't just clean it up. ![“Eliminate the cause of a mistake. Don't just clean it up.” quote by J. Willard Marriott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ef/j-willard-marriott-27320_causes_eliminate-the-cause-of-a-mistake-don-t-j_433578.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ef/j-willard-marriott-27320_causes_eliminate-the-cause-of-a-mistake-don-t-j_433578.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ef/j-willard-marriott-27320_causes_eliminate-the-cause-of-a-mistake-don-t-j_433578.png) > “Eliminate the cause of a mistake. Don't just clean it up.” [J. Willard Marriott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-willard-marriott/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Address root causes of errors rather than merely fixing symptoms for lasting improvement. **In simple terms:** Fix causes, not just symptoms. Key Takeaway Identify and eliminate underlying problems. Themes problem‑solving quality leadership Mood analytical pragmatic Type advice practical When to use this quote - manufacturing - software development - customer service - project management Key Concepts systems thinking continuous improvement Questions to Reflect On - What recurring issues need deeper analysis? - How can you implement root‑cause fixes efficiently? A Different Perspective Root cause analysis can be time‑consuming and complex. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Mistake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistake/) ## Related quotes > [When you get to know me, I don't despair - I just get up, clean up, and start again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avi-arad/when-you-get-to-know-me-i-don-t-despair-i-just-get-up-clean-up-and/) [Avi Arad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/avi-arad/) > [“So you made a mistake. Don’t beat yourself up over it. Let me beat you up instead.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/so-you-made-a-mistake-don-t-beat-yourself-up-over-it-let-me-beat-you/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [Before I make a mistake, I don't make that mistake.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/before-i-make-a-mistake-i-don-t-make-that-mistake/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You will keep making the same mistake if you don't learn from it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-will-keep-making-the-same-mistake-if-you-don-t-learn-from-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A mistake is only a mistake if you don't learn from it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-mistake-is-only-a-mistake-if-you-don-t-learn-from-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A mistake is only really a mistake if you don't learn from it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/a-mistake-is-only-really-a-mistake-if-you-don-t-learn-from-it/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [That's huge: just to clean up one ecosystem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-katie/that-s-huge-just-to-clean-up-one-ecosystem/) [Byron Katie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-katie/) > [There's a level of immaturity to people who just can't clean up after themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jann-wenner/there-s-a-level-of-immaturity-to-people-who-just-can-t-clean-up-after/) [Jann Wenner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jann-wenner/) > [I've been in perfect health and perfectly happy all my life. I don't take any pills; I just get up, clean up after my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-c-boyle/i-ve-been-in-perfect-health-and-perfectly-happy-all-my-life-i-don-t/) [T.C. Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-c-boyle/) > [“don't be so good in this bad world, don't be so shy in pointing the wrong one. life is given to us once, just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kshitij-gaur/don-t-be-so-good-in-this-bad-world-don-t-be-so-shy-in-pointing-the/) Kshitij Gaur > [“If your fiancé tended to come sailing in windows without notice, you didn’t have extra time to run and gather up messes. She dropped…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-j-cherryh/if-your-fianc-tended-to-come-sailing-in-windows-without-notice-you/) [C.J. Cherryh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-cherryh/) > [Many of the factors that we think will cause motivation, such as fair pay and a good manager, won't make you love your job.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-christensen/many-of-the-factors-that-we-think-will-cause-motivation-such-as-fair/) [Clayton Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-christensen/) > [You've got to eliminate the confusion in your life. 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Willard Marriott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-willard-marriott/) > [Celebrate your people's success, not your own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-willard-marriott/celebrate-your-people-s-success-not-your-own/) [J. Willard Marriott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-willard-marriott/) > [Choose your friends wisely-they will make or break you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-willard-marriott/choose-your-friends-wisely-they-will-make-or-break-you/) [J. Willard Marriott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-willard-marriott/) > [Take good care of your employees, and they'll take good care of your customers, and the customers will come back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-willard-marriott/take-good-care-of-your-employees-and-they-ll-take-good-care-of-your/) [J. 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Willard Marriott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-willard-marriott/) > [No matter how hard you work for your money, there's always someone out there willing to work twice as hard to take it away…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-willard-marriott/no-matter-how-hard-you-work-for-your-money-there-s-always-someone-out/) [J. Willard Marriott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-willard-marriott/) > [It's more important to hire people with the right qualities than with specific experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-willard-marriott/it-s-more-important-to-hire-people-with-the-right-qualities-than-with/) [J. Willard Marriott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-willard-marriott/) > [. . . success is a combination of many things, but a good character is the foundation of the kind of success that will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-willard-marriott/success-is-a-combination-of-many-things-but-a-good-character-is-the/) [J. Willard Marriott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-willard-marriott/) [Explore all 20 J. Willard Marriott quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-willard-marriott/) ## More Causes quotes > [It appears to me that one great cause of our difference in opinion on subjects which we often discuss is that you have always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ricardo/it-appears-to-me-that-one-great-cause-of-our-difference-in-opinion-on/) [David Ricardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ricardo/) > [I pray that wherever we are and whatever duties we have in the priesthood of God, we will be united in the cause to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/i-pray-that-wherever-we-are-and-whatever-duties-we-have-in-the/) [Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/) > [When you go to a club it's not about being black or white or heavy or thick. 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Well, roll my breakfast cause I'm a hungry man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-joe-turner/get-out-from-that-kitchen-and-rattle-those-pots-and-pans-well-roll-my/) [Big Joe Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/big-joe-turner/) > [This duo inside of me causes the perfect opportunity to live and learn twice as fast as those who choose to accept simplicity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tupac-shakur/this-duo-inside-of-me-causes-the-perfect-opportunity-to-live-and/) [Tupac Shakur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tupac-shakur/) > [Jobs and money are never the primary cause of stress. Thinking, negative thinking causes stress. 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The causes of youth violence are working parents who put their kids into daycare,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-delay/guns-have-little-or-nothing-to-do-with-juvenile-violence-the-causes/) [Tom DeLay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-delay/) > [I don't wear rubbers cause you can't catch it twice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-norton/i-don-t-wear-rubbers-cause-you-can-t-catch-it-twice/) [Jim Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-norton/) > [I have no hesitation in saying that although the American woman never leaves her domestic sphere and is in some respects very dependent within…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-de-tocqueville/i-have-no-hesitation-in-saying-that-although-the-american-woman-never/) [Alexis de Tocqueville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-de-tocqueville/) > [Well the first time I performed, my mom was like how she is now when sees me on stage – all red, smiling from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-brown/well-the-first-time-i-performed-my-mom-was-like-how-she-is-now-when/) [Chris Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-brown/) > [I love a lot of things, a whole lot of things / Like / My cousin comes to visit and you know he's from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eloise-greenfield/i-love-a-lot-of-things-a-whole-lot-of-things-like-my-cousin-comes-to/) Eloise Greenfield > [Many companies have long contended that stress in the home causes productivity loss in the market place.. and it does. 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