WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOUR CLIENT HAS AN ANTI-LEARNING PROGRAM?

I recently read several books by Chris Argyris, an original thinker about management, leadership, learning, change, etc. I was particularly interested when he described an anti-learning process which he called “a defensive structure.” Such defensive structures can be in both individuals and groups and as such work as formidable obstacles against learning. It is not only that we do not learn, it is that in such conditions, we cannot learn. There are structure that prevent learning. It operates like an antidote to learning.

Now have you ever had those kind of thoughts about another person, a client, a group (an organization or company) or even about yourself?

“What’s wrong with him, can’t he ever learn?” “I’ve told her a dozen times and she still doesn’t seem to get it!” “The group just keeps having the same argument over and over and we don’t ever seem to learn or move on. What’s going on?”