Teaching Smart People How to Learn
Teaching Smart People How to Learn by Chris Argyris. First published in the Harvard Business Review, May-June 1991, pp 99-109
Abstract
Our organizations must become learning organizations, says Chris Argyris, but first they must resolve a learning dilemma: professionals who occupy key leadership roles in the company frequently are the least able to learn. They are prone to the behavior patterns and defensive routines that block learning.
That senior managers are not good at learning may seem counter-intuitive, but that is one of Argyris’ points: highly skilled professionals are adept at what he calls “single-loop learning.” (Argyris’ example of single-loop learning is the thermostat that automatically turns on the heat whenever the temperature in the room drops below 68.) These professionals have spent a good part of their lives acquiring credentials, mastering one of a number of disciplines, and applying these disciplines to solve real-word problems -- all of which approaches exemplify single-loop learning.
To return to Argyris’ thermostat example, “double-loop learning” is when a thermostat could go beyond its programmed function and ask itself “why am I set at 68?” and then explore whether or not some other temperature might more economically achieve the goal of heating the room. It could, in other words, examine the impact it is having and could have on the room’s temperature.
Most senior managers, Argyris says, are almost always successful at what they do and thus rarely experience failure . . . which means in many cases they expect perfection from themselves and lack experience in learning from failure. So whenever their single-loop learning strategies go wrong, they become defensive, screen out criticism, and put the “blame” on anyone and everything but themselves. They are unable to see the impact they may be having on whatever situation they are trying to analyze, change, or resolve. In short, their ability to learn shuts down
Abstract
Our organizations must become learning organizations, says Chris Argyris, but first they must resolve a learning dilemma: professionals who occupy key leadership roles in the company frequently are the least able to learn. They are prone to the behavior patterns and defensive routines that block learning.
That senior managers are not good at learning may seem counter-intuitive, but that is one of Argyris’ points: highly skilled professionals are adept at what he calls “single-loop learning.” (Argyris’ example of single-loop learning is the thermostat that automatically turns on the heat whenever the temperature in the room drops below 68.) These professionals have spent a good part of their lives acquiring credentials, mastering one of a number of disciplines, and applying these disciplines to solve real-word problems -- all of which approaches exemplify single-loop learning.
To return to Argyris’ thermostat example, “double-loop learning” is when a thermostat could go beyond its programmed function and ask itself “why am I set at 68?” and then explore whether or not some other temperature might more economically achieve the goal of heating the room. It could, in other words, examine the impact it is having and could have on the room’s temperature.
Most senior managers, Argyris says, are almost always successful at what they do and thus rarely experience failure . . . which means in many cases they expect perfection from themselves and lack experience in learning from failure. So whenever their single-loop learning strategies go wrong, they become defensive, screen out criticism, and put the “blame” on anyone and everything but themselves. They are unable to see the impact they may be having on whatever situation they are trying to analyze, change, or resolve. In short, their ability to learn shuts down