Double-Loop Learning | Jeremy McGilvrey

Jeremy McGilvrey | Double Loop Learning

The 1968 Mexico City Olympics marked the international debut of Dick Fosbury – and his celebrated "Fosbury Flop," which would soon revolutionize high jumping.

Before Fosbury, jumpers would swing there outside foot, up and over the bar, much like a hurdler would jump over a hurdle. This allowed them to land on their feet. Fosbury’s technique, was much, much different.

He began by racing up to the bar at a great speed, and taking off from his outside foot. Then he twisted his body so that he went over the bar head-first – with his back to the bar.

While the coaches of the world shook their heads in disbelief, the Mexico City audience was absolutely captivated by Fosbury and shouted, "Ole!" each time he cleared the bar.

Fosbury cleared every height through 2.2 meters without a miss, and then achieved a personal record of 2.24 meters to win the gold medal. By 1980, 13 of the 16 Olympic finalists we're using the famous Fosbury Flop.

I love Fosbury’s story, because it goes along the lines of something Mark Twain said, which was: Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.

I recently read something that presented me with a whole new way of thinking. It made a lot of sense, and I wanted to share it with you.
A New York Times article titled: “The Secret Ingredient for Success,” led me to the book: The Art of Doing: How Super Achievers Do What They Do, and How They Do It So Well. The authors interviewed dozens of these super achievers, people who have gone to unprecedented heights of success.

All of them possessed the typical ingredients to success: Such as hard work, persistence, tenacity, resilience, and even luck they believed played a role in their extraordinary achievements. But there was an additional quality common to these super achievers; one I believe many of us discount and overlook. And that quality was: Self-Awareness.

When these super achievers were setting goals, or confronting obstacles, they subjected themselves to a very brutal self-assessment. They refused to bang their heads against the wall. They employed something called double-loop learning.
You see, single-loop learning is the repeated attempt to achieve a goal or solve a problem. The old adage: If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.

However, I learned Double-loop learning was far different. Double-loop learning entails using what we learned in prior attempts – to modify the goal in the light of our experience – or possibly even reject the goal all together.

Single-loop learning involves examining the technical reasons for why we did not achieve our desired outcome. What difficulties must we overcome to make the next attempt successful?