Re: Unlearning

Ragnvald Sannes (IRS@HHS.SE)
Thu, 17 Nov 1994 11:09:39 +0100

>IMHO, an "unlearning" organization is constantly testing and validating it's
>assumptions of the market to ensure it's survival in the future. Those
>organizations that fail to adapt it's practices have crossed over the line
>from being self-aware to one of self-absorbed. The organization that is
>capable of "unlearning" is one that is aware of itself and that it is a part
>of the environment. "Unlearning" then becomes an act of "Learning" in that
>what worked or didn't work becomes known and more importantly the "why" it
>did or didn't work.
>
>Paul Zonca
>ZONCAPM@AOL.COM

Chris Argyris' organizational learning concept distinguish between
single-loop learning and double-loop learning. The difference is that
single-loop learning is learning to improve the performance of what you are
currently doing, while double-loop learning is about learning to do what
you are doing in a smarter way. This includes testing and validating the
assumptions of your current practices, in other words similar to the notion
of unlearning on this list. Gregory Bateson made a similar distinction
between learning I and learning II. He also included learning III, that is,
changing the process of learning II.

Ragnvald Sannes
irs@ci1.hhs.se