Practical EQ

Emotional Intelligence and "The Apprentice"

Here in the UK that compulsively watchable show "The Apprentice" has returned to our TV screens - and making an equally welcome return is my good friend Gavin Ingham's commentary on it: The Sales Apprentice. While Gavin is drawing lessons from each show specifically from a sales angle, many of the points he makes about the first show are actually about the emotional intelligence of the candidates. I've added my off-the-top-of-my-head thoughts about emotional intelligence in 'The Apprentice' as a comment on Gavin's blog.

Double-Loop Learning

More about Chris Argyris and Donald Schon's ideas - following on from the "Espoused Theory and Theory-in-Use" posting.

Our actions can be viewed as keeping some set of variables within acceptable limits. These variables are determined by our theory in use. When something goes wrong, we tend to look for another strategy that will keep the variables within those same limits, rather than questioning the variables themselves. We can describe this as 'single-loop learning'.

The more profound "double-loop learning" happens when we examine the variables themselves (or the values, beliefs and assumptions behind them) in the light of the results of our action strategies. We then become more aware of our theories in use.

Where only single-loop learning is taking place, the unexamined assumptions behind it tend to lead to advocacy of one's own viewpoint, defensiveness, a win-lose outlook, and a wish to control interactions . This can happen at personal, team or organisational levels.

Double-loop learning, by contrast, is characterised by inquiry rather than advocacy, greater openness, a win-win outlook, and a willingness to share control. This creates a more positive emotional climate and enables individual and organisational development.

Methods of facilitating double-loop learning include reflection, coaching, and receiving feedback which compares espoused beliefs and explanations with actual results.

Further reading: Theory in Practice: Increasing Professional Effectiveness
by Chris Argyris and Donald A. Schön

© Andy Smith and Coaching Leaders Ltd 2008

Goal-setting interview

Just to let you know that I've been interviewed about goal-setting for Gavin Ingham's sales blog - which has already created a nice little surge in my readership figures.

I've also had a less satisfactory interview experience - a journo from Crain's Manchester Business phoned me about business coaching, we had a nice chat, I directed him to a satisfied client to interview, and the next thing I hear about it is when the client emails me with a link to the article saying it's rather strange as I'm not named in it. So you'll just have to trust me when I tell you that the coach who helped award-winning Manchester design company True North to greater success, and who its MD Martin Carr is praising to the skies, is actually me!

"Espoused Theory" and "Theory In Use"

How do we explain the discrepancies we observe in other people between what they say they believe, and how they act?

The theorists Chris Argyris and Donald Schön suggest that people have 'mental maps' of how to plan, implement and review their actions in given situations. It is these tacit, unexamined maps - a set of unconsciously held beliefs, assumptions and rules - which guide their actions, rather than the explanations that they give to themselves and others to make sense of what they do.

Argyris and Schön described the mental maps implicit in people's actions as "theories in use", and their consciously held beliefs and explanations about their actions as "espoused theories".

Argyris suggests that bringing theory-in-use and espoused theory into line with each other will increase effectiveness. So how do we do this? "Double-Loop Learning" - which is discussed in my next entry.

Further reading: Theory in Practice: Increasing Professional Effectiveness
by Chris Argyris and Donald A. Schön