Learning through paradox

In our contributions over the last three weeks, we have suggested that the learning matrix can help us develop learning strategies to deal with the diversity of specific contexts and objectives. Three dimensions of the matrix can be drawn around what we need to learn, the extent to which their can be a precise answer to our business challenges, and the degree to which learning is a social process. This week’s contribution explores the third axe of the matrix: the extent to which to which learning is either an individual challenge or embedded in our perceptions of our social networks.

Let’s re-use the example of the incident following the airport announcement that the early morning flight out of Lyon would be delayed several hours. How should the flight attendant learn to deal with her clients’ cynicism in the airline’s explanation?  This question begs yet another: to what extent is learning an inherently social process? On one end of the continuum the attendant is expected to “learn” by acting upon her environment by acquiring the skills and knowledge necessary to deal with crisis situations. On the other, if learning is inherently a social process, the attendant can’t act alone. “Learning” is a reactive response tied to the context and the organization in which she evolves.  In between the two views, “learning” can be seen as dealing with the paradox of both acting and reacting to a constantly changing environment.

On one end of the continuum the flight attendant is expected to “learn” the appropriate responses to client challenges by developing the required competencies. From this perspective, often associated with methodological individualism, learning is an activity of autonomous individuals. Learning, like any other social phenomenon, can be explained as the result of individual behaviour. Each manager is in control of his or her own destiny, each develops mind maps for learning through a series of representations, maps and models of his or her business environment. In this light, learning can be equated with developing one’s mind to deal with each new business challenge.

On the other end of the continuum we can argue that the flight attendant is incapable of learning alone how to respond to the events at the airport that morning. Methodological collectivism suggests learning is a by definition a phenomenon of social systems. In this case the social system is formed by the interaction of the individuals: the airline’s customers, representatives and partners. Individuals don’t learn alone, but as a response to patterns of interactions in communities. Walter Baëts and Marie-Jo Broeways suggest here that organisational learning becomes a form of cultural development. In this light, management education is an organizational challenge that involves understanding the characteristics of social networks that enable or obstruct the emergence of pertinent responses to business challenges.

Finally, between the two, we can suggest that learning about business is neither an individual activity nor an attribute of social systems, but is dependent upon each manager’s ability to deal with the paradox inherent in social interaction. Although we can learn alone the right answer to an algebraic equation or mechanical process, it’s often quite futile to apply “textbook” responses to the complexity of our business environment. Similarly, it is also quite illusive to believe that organizations think, react or learn. Mission statements, company policies, organizational responses are nothing more than certain individual’s interpretations of their team, their organization and their market.  If effective learning is dealing with paradox, this strategy suggests managers must constantly deal with competing visions of their personal visions, inspirations and judgements and those expectations imposed by his team, management and customers. The paradox of management education is that it is neither individual nor organizational, but a constant quest to understand the contextual link between the two.

What do you think? Do you have a comment or suggestion that can add value to our efforts?