Nadja Hill
HAD assignment 4
9/25/13
Single loop learning is when individuals solve an issue by simply looking at the organization’s policies, values, and rules to come up with a solution. This learning form allows people to follow a process that’s been put in place in order to resolve a problem. Single loop learning is for simple problems that can be fixed by knowing what’s expected from looking at past events and comparing the results. This is considered the simplest learning form. This is a good learning form for an organization because it can lead to adaptive learning. People will begin to adjust to certain processes because of certain changes that take place. When individuals see a certain process repeatedly, they will tend to reflect those behaviors. For example, an organization is trying to limit the amount of slip and falls especially during rainy weather. Problems solvers discover that these accidents are taking place because of the access waters that drips off the umbrellas once the individual is inside the building. So now a way for them to minimize slips and falls is to provide plastic covers to everyone entering in with wet umbrellas. The organization installed appliances with these plastic covers at every entrance with a sign instructing people to take one. Now everyone knows to grab a plastic cover when entering the building when applicable.
Double loop learning is when problem solvers or individuals eliminate issues by looking at organizations policies, regulations and rules to attempt to make changes to them. This is when individuals feel like a certain process or procedure is not working and instead of trying to look at past occurrences, those individuals question the existing policies and make an attempt to change the whole structure of the policy system all together. I believe this is for more complicated problems that requires more work.
This form of learning can positively change an organization in the long run. By changing the whole structure in order to fix a problem could eliminate future errors of its sort. Double loop learning will allow individuals to eventually eliminate certain problems from occurring. For example, a nursing dept wants to avoid obtaining help from their partnered temp agency as much as possible. It’s been said that the nurses from the temp agency are not well trained and are always making errors. This is where double loop learning could come into play. Instead of the department keep trying to avoid seeking help form the agency, maybe changing the policies all together would be a way to achieve better performance from the temp agency. Implementing certain standards of what’s expected of any nurse that is sent to help the organization when needed will help to eliminate some of the issues. This will also encourage the temp agency to better train their staff efficiently enough that when they arrive at organizations the nurses are performing much better.
Some recommendations that I would tell problem solvers is before changing anything they should do plenty of testing and look at the overall situation first. Single looping would only be successful if its just a simple error that requires a small change. Double looping is successful when a resolution is implemented at first and doesn’t seem to be fixing the problem. Problem solvers should be careful as to when apply the two types of learning.