I have collected a lot of jokes, anecdotes and models over more than twenty years, and I am putting them in the database and making it available for trainers.

To help me design the database, I would appreciate it if you could answer a few questions.I expect that it will take about ten minutes.

The survey is located at: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=646932164136
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The Stroop Effect

If I was to type

DON'T READ THIS

you wouldn't, would you?

oops! you have!

If I was to ask you to name the colour these words are typed in, how would you go?

Table

Chair

Plate

Fork

how would you go?

Now how about naming the colours these words are typed in:

Blue

Red

Orange

Black

This is known as the Stroop Effect and strikes me as a good activity to show one of the barriers to the introduction of a Learning Organisation.

The effect was first noted in an article Studies of Interference in Serial Verbal Reactions published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology in 1935.

There's a great explanation at http://www.open2.net/childofourtime/2005/animalstroop.html Even though people can see advantages, they find it difficult to commit to a concept.
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Double loop learning

I was sitting at home one wintry night trying to get my mind around double loop learning.

The TV was on, but I was ignoring it. The radiant heaters were both working in synergy. But every time I got up to make a cup of coffee the fuse blew.

This went on for a few nights and I became a very good fuse changer.

My preoccupation with continuous improvement set in. I bought a spare fuse block and wired it in advance, so I didn't have to fumble around in the dark.

Then I made a capital investment and replaced all of the fuses with circuit breakers.

But still, every wintry night when I tried to make a cup of coffee the fuse blew.

With two heaters, a fridge, a freezer and the TV plugged into the same power circuit the fuse could be expected to blow every time I made a cup of coffee on a wintry night.

Then it occurred to me. the fridge, freezer, two heaters, TV and jug were on the same circuit. Another circuit hosted a bedside lamp and a clock radio.

I was solving the wrong problem.

With a couple of extension cords, I was able to plug the heaters into power points into the other circuit.

Of course most problems are the result of previous solutions.

Extension cords introduce a new hazard - tripping. So put a mat over the cord.

Mats are slip hazards of course. So tape them down with double sided tape underneath the mats.

The tape discoloured the polished wooden floor, so ….

Double loop learning means asking more questions every time a solution is found.

Single loop learning was about finding faster ways to change the fuse. Double loop learning is about finding the cause rather than the symptom.
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Learning Organizations

I am doing a masters degree in adult education at the moment.

I know what I do works in practice, but will it work in theory.

Perhaps there is nowhere that that is as important in Learning organizations.

I have been involved in a number of projects which could justifiably be described as learning organisations - not perfect, but on the way.

So the next few posts are about learning organizations.

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A creature of habit

In my seminars I encourage people to speak up, so I guess over time I have created a habit of asking for their input.

The extent to which I have adopted this style became evident yesterday when I was in someone else's program as a participant.

I guess I'm not surprised that I was chosen by them as the person to report back from the syndicates, but even I was surprised when I did so. I was in the group assigned to explore the policy on car usage as part of an induction program for a place where I am doing some contracting work.

The policy was easily divided into safe workplaces, safe drivers, safe vehicles.But I just couldn't help myself.

When I showed the butcher's paper with those written on them, I asked the whole seminar - "What do you think we meant by safe workplaces?"

Of course I wasn't surprised when the answers flowed.

The learning point?

With the right attitude it is impossible not to involve other learners and so make the training event interesting to them.

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