--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is a mistake to assume that if…" description: "\"It is a mistake to assume that if everybody does his job, it will be all right. The whole system may be in trouble.\" — W. Edwards Deming" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43b/w-edwards-deming-1337_assume_it-is-a-mistake-to-assume-that-if-everyb_68960.jpg" --- # It is a mistake to assume that if everybody does his job… ![“It is a mistake to assume that if everybody does his job, it will be all right. The whole system may be in trouble.” quote by W. Edwards Deming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43b/w-edwards-deming-1337_assume_it-is-a-mistake-to-assume-that-if-everyb_68960.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43b/w-edwards-deming-1337_assume_it-is-a-mistake-to-assume-that-if-everyb_68960.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43b/w-edwards-deming-1337_assume_it-is-a-mistake-to-assume-that-if-everyb_68960.jpg) > “It is a mistake to assume that if everybody does his job, it will be all right. The whole system may be in trouble.” [W. Edwards Deming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-edwards-deming/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Assuming individual competence guarantees overall success ignores systemic interdependencies and hidden failures. **In simple terms:** Individual performance ≠ system health Key Takeaway Systemic risk persists despite competent actors Themes systems thinking risk management organizational behavior interdependence quality control Mood cautious analytical critical Type advice observation warning When to use this quote - manufacturing plant - software development team - hospital department - supply chain - government agency Key Concepts feedback loops process integration collective responsibility Practical Applications - risk assessment - process redesign Questions to Reflect On - How can we detect hidden systemic flaws? - What mechanisms ensure collective accountability? A Different Perspective A well‑designed system can mitigate individual errors, but no system is immune to collective oversights. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Assume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assume/) [Assume Everybody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assume-everybody-911411/) [Assuming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assuming/) [Doe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doe/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jobs/) [Management](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/management/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [Mistake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistake/) [Mistake Assume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistake-assume-911412/) [Trouble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trouble/) [Whole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whole/) ## Related quotes > [“They assumed the endeavor was brilliant and rational because they were brilliant and rational, and we tend to automatically assume that everybody else is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-ronson/they-assumed-the-endeavor-was-brilliant-and-rational-because-they/) [Jon Ronson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-ronson/) > [Assume that everybody can see what you are doing and then live your life that way - you will find that generally you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-schilling/assume-that-everybody-can-see-what-you-are-doing-and-then-live-your/) [Frank Schilling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-schilling/) > [Nobody can assume that, to a writer, everything is off-limits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-beattie/nobody-can-assume-that-to-a-writer-everything-is-off-limits/) [Ann Beattie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-beattie/) > [Spirits when they please Can either sex assume, or both.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/spirits-when-they-please-can-either-sex-assume-or-both/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) > [That's a mistake I think that a lot of Western observers make is to assume that Korean nationalism is hundreds if not thousands of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-reynolds-myers/that-s-a-mistake-i-think-that-a-lot-of-western-observers-make-is-to/) [Brian Reynolds Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-reynolds-myers/) > [We're taught that in life, we should try to look on the bright side. 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He may have more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-thomas/do-not-always-assume-the-other-fellow-has-intelligence-equal-to-yours/) [Terry-Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-thomas/) > [What we assume, what we have never clearly thought out, controls us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morton-t-kelsey/what-we-assume-what-we-have-never-clearly-thought-out-controls-us/) [Morton T. Kelsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morton-t-kelsey/) > [I think a lot of fans immediately go, 'ugggh' when they hear that someone is doing a prequel or a remake, they sort of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-elizabeth-winstead/i-think-a-lot-of-fans-immediately-go-ugggh-when-they-hear-that/) [Mary Elizabeth Winstead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-elizabeth-winstead/) > [We should not assume; however, that just because something is unexplainable by us, it is unexplainable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-a-maxwell/we-should-not-assume-however-that-just-because-something-is/) [Neal A. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-a-maxwell/) ## More by W. Edwards Deming > [Absence of defects does not necessarily build business... Something more is required.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-edwards-deming/absence-of-defects-does-not-necessarily-build-business-something-more/) [W. Edwards Deming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-edwards-deming/) > [In Japan, a company worker's position is secure. He is retrained for another job if his present job is eliminated by productivity improvement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-edwards-deming/in-japan-a-company-worker-s-position-is-secure-he-is-retrained-for/) [W. Edwards Deming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-edwards-deming/) > [We are here to make another world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-edwards-deming/we-are-here-to-make-another-world/) [W. Edwards Deming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-edwards-deming/) > [Innovation comes from the producer - not from the customer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-edwards-deming/innovation-comes-from-the-producer-not-from-the-customer/) [W. Edwards Deming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-edwards-deming/) > [The only useful function of a statistician is to make predictions, and thus to provide a basis for action.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-edwards-deming/the-only-useful-function-of-a-statistician-is-to-make-predictions-and/) [W. Edwards Deming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-edwards-deming/) > [A leader is a coach, not a judge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-edwards-deming/a-leader-is-a-coach-not-a-judge/) [W. Edwards Deming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-edwards-deming/) > [It does not happen all at once. There is no instant pudding.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-edwards-deming/it-does-not-happen-all-at-once-there-is-no-instant-pudding/) [W. Edwards Deming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-edwards-deming/) > [Sub-optimization is when everyone is for himself. Optimization is when everyone is working to help the company.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-edwards-deming/sub-optimization-is-when-everyone-is-for-himself-optimization-is-when/) [W. Edwards Deming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-edwards-deming/) > [We know what we told him, but we don't know what he heard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-edwards-deming/we-know-what-we-told-him-but-we-don-t-know-what-he-heard/) [W. Edwards Deming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-edwards-deming/) > [Rational behavior requires theory. Reactive behavior requires only reflex action.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-edwards-deming/rational-behavior-requires-theory-reactive-behavior-requires-only/) [W. Edwards Deming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-edwards-deming/) > [A manager of people needs to understand that all people are different. This is not ranking people. He needs to understand that the performance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-edwards-deming/a-manager-of-people-needs-to-understand-that-all-people-are-different/) [W. Edwards Deming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-edwards-deming/) > [“It is not enough to just do your best or work hard; You must know what to work on.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-edwards-deming/it-is-not-enough-to-just-do-your-best-or-work-hard-you-must-know-what/) [W. Edwards Deming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-edwards-deming/) > [You have to manage a system. The system doesn't manage itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-edwards-deming/you-have-to-manage-a-system-the-system-doesn-t-manage-itself/) [W. Edwards Deming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-edwards-deming/) > [Two basic rules of life are: 1) Change is inevitable. 2) Everybody resists change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-edwards-deming/two-basic-rules-of-life-are-1-change-is-inevitable-2-everybody/) [W. Edwards Deming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-edwards-deming/) > [Knowledge is theory. We should be thankful if action of management is based on theory. Knowledge has temporal spread. Information is not knowledge. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-edwards-deming/knowledge-is-theory-we-should-be-thankful-if-action-of-management-is/) [W. Edwards Deming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-edwards-deming/) [Explore all 255 W. Edwards Deming quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-edwards-deming/) ## More Assume quotes > [We only call at ducks when their rear ends are towards us. 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Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-a-maxwell/) > [I think a lot of fans immediately go, 'ugggh' when they hear that someone is doing a prequel or a remake, they sort of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-elizabeth-winstead/i-think-a-lot-of-fans-immediately-go-ugggh-when-they-hear-that/) [Mary Elizabeth Winstead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-elizabeth-winstead/) > [You can never assume that something is going to do well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-lopez/you-can-never-assume-that-something-is-going-to-do-well/) [Robert Lopez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-lopez/) > [What we assume, what we have never clearly thought out, controls us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morton-t-kelsey/what-we-assume-what-we-have-never-clearly-thought-out-controls-us/) [Morton T. Kelsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morton-t-kelsey/) > [Do not always assume the other fellow has intelligence equal to yours. He may have more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-thomas/do-not-always-assume-the-other-fellow-has-intelligence-equal-to-yours/) [Terry-Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-thomas/) > [Americans assume all British people have at least one servant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-freeman/americans-assume-all-british-people-have-at-least-one-servant/) [Martin Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-freeman/) > [ If \[Barack\] Obama or the boss or the newspapers or anyone else tells you they're doing this, that, or the other thing, dismiss it… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/if-barack-obama-or-the-boss-or-the-newspapers-or-anyone-else-tells/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [How ballsy it was to just assume you know, with one glance, the things another person could live without. As if it was the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/how-ballsy-it-was-to-just-assume-you-know-with-one-glance-the-things/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) [Browse all 542 Assume quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assume/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It is a mistake to assume that if everybody does his job, it will be all right. The whole system may be in trouble.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "W. 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