By Chris Denny | February 8, 2023 | 0
I’ve been doing some thinking about mistakes versus errors. again.
To be clear, in normal conversation… in training workshops, in discussions, in consulting… I don’t worry about the use or technical misuse of the words.
That is, I use them interchangeably in everyday life… and I don’t call people out on it.
But, I think it’s a fun topic and it has a some relevance when you’re really digging deep into identifying problems and their solutions.
So…
While the words “mistake” and “error” are similar and are often used interchangeably, they have slightly different meanings.
A mistake is a human action or decision that is not intended or that deviates from the outcome that is expected or good. Mistakes can be made due to lack of knowledge, carelessness, or poor judgment. For example, a student who writes the wrong answer on a test has made a mistake.
An error, on the other hand, is a deviation from accuracy or correctness. In my previous discussion of the difference between mistakes and errors, I label it as a deviation from a system. It’s not a huge distinction but in thinking about I like the inclusion, at least, of the word correctness — which implies there is a known and correct outcome.
Errors can be made by humans or by machines, such as a computer or a machine in a factory. Errors can be systematic or random, and can be caused by a variety of factors, such as mistakes, but also by malfunctions, bugs, or problems with the design or performance of a system. For example, a calculator that gives the wrong answer to a math problem because of a malfunctioning button is an error.
In summary, a mistake is a human action that deviates from the expected or best outcome, while an error refers to a deviation from accuracy or correctness regardless of the cause.
