The following references that follow are from:
by Chris Argyris »:
This book describes 2 ways we can communicate with one another: Model I, and Model II. Model II is better than Model I, for maximizing learning.
“… Model I Theory-in-Use
Model I theory-in-use is the design we found throughout the world. It has four governing values:
1. Achieve your intended purpose.
2. Maximize winning and minimize losing.
3. Suppress negative feelings.
4. Behave according to what you consider rational.
The most prevalent action strategies that arise from Model I are the following:
1. Advocate your position.
2. Evaluate the thoughts and actions of others (and your own thoughts and actions).
3. Attribute causes for whatever you are trying to understand.
These actions must be performed in such a way that you satisfice your governing values — that is, you achieve at least your minimum acceptable level of being in control, winning, or bringing about any other result. In other words, Model I tells individuals to craft their positions, evaluations, and attributions in ways that inhibit inquiries into them and tests of them with others’ logic. The consequences of these Model I strategies are likely to be defensiveness, misunderstanding, and self-fulfilling and self-sealing processes (Argyris, 1982, 1985b). …”
Knowledge for Action: A Guide to Overcoming Barriers to Organizational Change, Page 52
1. Achieve your intended purpose – whether it be to maintain health, to find a life partner, to meet new friends, to meet new friends with benefits, to teach, to learn, to practice, to perform.
2. Maximize winning and minimizing losing – to look good, to not look bad.
3. Suppress negative feelings – to feel good, to not feel bad.
4. Behave according to what you consider rational – I’m right, I’m not wrong.
“… Model II Theory-in-Use
The governing values of Model II are valid information, informed choice, and vigilant monitoring of the implementation of the choice in order to detect and correct error. As in the case of Model I, the three most prominent behaviors are advocate, evaluate, and attribute. However, unlike Model I behaviors, Model II behaviors are crafted into action strategies that openly illustrate how the actors reached their evaluations or attributions and how they crafted them to encourage inquiry and testing by others. As a consequence, defensive routines that are anti-learning are minimized and double-loop learning is facilitated. Embarrassment and threat are not bypassed and covered up; they are engaged (Argyris & Schön, 1974; Argyris, 1982, 1985b). …”
Knowledge for Action: A Guide to Overcoming Barriers to Organizational Change, Page 55
1. Don’t achieve your unintended purpose – don’t achieve the wrong thing.
2. Don’t maximize losing and minimize winning – don’t achieve more of the wrong thing.
3. Don’t suppress negative feelings – it’s alright to cry ».
4. Don’t behave according to what you consider irrational – salsa hubris.
The 3 governing Model II salsa values:
1. Valid information – is the information correct?
2. Informed choice – would the purpose change if the information was incorrect?
3. Vigilant monitoring of the implementation of the choice in order to detect and correct error – is the information still correct?
Personal Purpose, defensiveness minimized, embarrassment/ threat engaged:
After absorbing all the information available, I’m surprised to find that my new primary purpose and motivation for salsa is not to seduce salseras, but to maintain health. Also, I’ve started learning again.
With learning comes messing-up and embarrassment, and the temptation to return to old ways. It helps to be learning another activity, where I literally get to fall on my ass when I mess up. When you see everyone falling on their ass, no matter their level, it puts things in perspective.
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