I was always trained (by multiple Captains) once you have the control knob in your hand (whether you looked to get there or not) pause, identify the control to yourself, or co crew member if two crew, and confirm - then move it as needed. More modern airplanes try to help the pilot keep this all straight with requirements for control location, motion, knob colour and shape. Earlier airplanes, less so. I was reminded of this flying two different deHavilland Beavers last summer, where the engine controls of the older one were original, and therefore in a different order, and knob shape to the more recent rebuilt one I had flown weeks before.
I cannot imagine how two condition levers are mistaken for one flap lever! Everything is different! As a person who approves cockpit control design, what more can I do to consider defeating such errors in better design?