Learning through feedback

Recently, I read the theory of double-loop learning. The idea is that you need to have time to receive feedback and reflect in order to learn. As Argyris writes, you can’t just expect to learn information by downloading it—you’ll need to internalize it. You need to “change the underlying assumptions and values that govern the actions in the strategy.”

I started thinking a lot about how we learn in a corporate setting. Too often, we seek opportunities for professional development opportunities like training and conferences, but we never think about what to DO with that information.

How might we all use those opportunities to build a community of learning, both bringing information back to our professional communities, but also seeking feedback from others in how we apply that information moving forward?

As a coach, I would love to challenge my clients to set one achievable goal after each learning experience in the workforce: Bring it back to a colleague and engage them in conversation.

Sparking one conversation about new material not only helps people understand the new material better, but may internalize that information even more by seeking input of others. A double loop is formed!

Argyris, C. (2005). Double-loop learning in organizations: A theory of action perspective. In K. G. Smith & M. A. Hitt (eds.) Great minds in management (pp. 261-279), Oxford: Oxford University Press.