Gustav Hultin asked:
>Is there anything that information professionals can do to stimulate
>double loop learning!
I think this is a great question. The IT function has a special
opportunity to provide information in a way that can stimulate learning.
Several ideas come to mind.
Present information in a way that users can compare and see patterns over
time and across categories. Patterns help us to discover structure.
Present information to compare with expectations or norms. Make it easy
to see patterns because patterns here are key ingredients to double-loop
learning. If the same deviation is occurring repeatedly, there is
probably a systemic cause. It reminds me of a cartoon of a galley ship
with oars. All the big oarsmen are on the left side and the ship always
turns right. If users can see that the deviations are mostly in one
direction, something at a higher level needs attention.
Build IT systems with the ability to detect deviation patterns
automatically and alert users. Very large and frequent deviations suggest
the need for double-loop attention. Using the concepts of statistics for
evolving a model, if the supposedly random deviations can be predicted,
there is more modeling to do. In an adaptive system which tends to cover
up deviations with corrections, the IT system needs to look for constantly
changing parameters that are expected to be pretty stable. For example,
if the tiime trend of a metric is an upward curve and the forecast is
linear, the linear slope will be frequently adjusted upward.
The IT challenge is more than searching for problems to feed the
double-loop process. The deviations can also be indications of success
patterns that can be discovered and exploited. This can all be enhanced
if IT sets up ways to communicate the deviations and patterns and
discussions as email, discussion groups and chat areas. Database and KM
capabilities can help. The IT groups can use their role to actually lead
an orgaization toward a learning community.
In the joy of seeking,
Kent Quisel kent@de-sa.com
Decision Support Associates (DeSA)
--"Kent Quisel" <kent@de-sa.com>
Learning-org -- Hosted by Rick Karash <rkarash@karash.com> Public Dialog on Learning Organizations -- <http://www.learning-org.com>