Mystery Solved - Problem Created

Human Error: Problem or Mystery?

While re-reading my dog-eared copy of Steven Pinker’s How the Mind Works, I ran across an interesting insight that applies to our current war on human error. Norman Chomsky maintains that human ignorance can be roughly subdivided into two simple categories – problems and mysteries. Problems may not yet have a solution, but are generally frame-able and discussable as something that may be solved at some future point. In Pinker’s words, we may not have a full grasp of it, but we have insights.

Mysteries, on the other hand, are more magical. Mysteries continue to be beyond our grasp to shape a meaningful discussion about what any solution or explanation might look like. In truth, it is likely that given the right set of data and time to work through it; we could turn all mysteries into solvable problems. The difficulty with doing so is always managing the moment when a previously supernatural, unknowable, magical thing comes into the realm of the real and manageable.

Human error is at just such a “cusp” moment for individuals and organizations who are tired of the Reaper's toll.

One reason is that the scientists are doing their jobs, and new insights on human motivation, performance and error are being rolled out at an ever increasing rate. Just last week, I read a complete set of fully referenced articles on the scientific explanation for romantic love - yet I must confess it remains a mystery to me, but perhaps only because I could not understand the chemistry or technical jargon - a likely product of my mispent youth.

A second, and perhaps more important reason for this amazing opportunity to confront human error head on, is that human beings who have now been born and raised in the information age, are far more comfortable perceiving, acting and reacting within the torrents of data that flow by us nearly every moment of every day than members of my Baby Boomer generation.

This combination of new knowledge and better adapted human vessels sets the stage for a dramatic change in how we manage human performance. It will require the courage to dive deep into the nature and causes of general, specific and individual human error patterns and tendencies – as well as the ability to stay adaptable and flexible in the heat of battle. But the solution to human error is closer than it has ever been in the history of the human race.

In short, human error is no longer a mystery – but is still one hell of a problem. Relatively speaking, that’s a very good thing.