This is an Executive Summary of the article, “Teaching Smart People How to Learn” by Chris Argyris. A business’ success in the marketplace depends on highly trained staff. However many people don’t know how to learn. In fact the most difficult training strategies are those that are developed for personnel in senior leadership positions. Senior leaders are effective problem solvers when focusing on, identifying and correcting issues in the organizational environment. But when confronted with how their actions might have contributed to the organization’s problems they avoid learning; and in order for learning to continue personal reflection is required to influence change. A learning organization must understand the distinction between ‘‘single loop learning” and ‘‘double loop learning”. “Single loop learning” involves the identification and solving of a problem. Whereas “double loop learning” asks why is there a problem? Professionals utilize “single-loop learning” for projects such as organizational restructuring, training and development and process improvement. But seldom do they master the skills of “double loop learning”. All too often success has denied these professionals the opportunity to learn from their mistakes. As a result they avoid learning because they lack the reflective skills necessary to ask themselves why there is a problem and what role did I play in that problem.
Avoidance Learning Studies of professional consultants exemplify the process of avoidance learning. For example when a project is not going as planned or when confronted with their own performance; it’s not uncommon to hear a defensive response such as “it is not our fault” or “we had unclear objectives”. Their defensiveness is a fear response and as a result negativism can take hold which will diminish new ideas and interest. This is “defensive reasoning”; its presence