Teamwork Tuesdays: Dr. Chris Argyris — Double-Loop Learning

What do you do when something isn't working?

Most of us immediately ask, “How can we fix it?” Chris Argyris believed there is a deeper question we should sometimes ask: “Are we solving the right problem?”

Argyris called this double-loop learning. Single-loop learning focuses on correcting an action while keeping the same goal or assumptions. Double-loop learning goes one step further—it questions the assumptions, beliefs, strategies, or goals that created the problem in the first place.

Think about an athlete who keeps missing free throws. Single-loop learning might mean practicing more free throws. Double-loop learning asks: Why am I missing? Am I rushing? Is my routine inconsistent? Am I focusing on the outcome instead of the process? Is the way I'm practicing actually preparing me for pressure?

The same principle applies to teams.

A team that loses might ask, “What should we do differently next game?” A learning team also asks, “What assumptions did we have about our preparation, communication, or strategy that might have been wrong?”

Great athletes and great teams don't just correct mistakes. They learn from them deeply enough to change the thinking that produced them.

Reflection: What is one problem you keep trying to fix that might require you to rethink the way you're approaching it?