Benjamin-Taylor-MJ-piece-on-capturing-learning-learning-network
In this essay Benjamin Taylor argues that COVID‑19 was not a black‑swan event but a predictable crisis that could have been foreseen from decades‑long scenario planning. While acknowledging the pandemic’s massive disruption, he stresses that the real challenge now is to capture and institutionalise the learning emerging from the response so that future, more complex shocks can be handled better. He notes early signs of both rapid community mobilisation and emerging tensions (e.g., a rise in domestic‑abuse hotline calls and a drop in child‑abuse reporting). To turn the current fire‑fighting mode into a learning engine, Taylor offers six practical recommendations: (1) decentralise decision‑making with clear, rapidly updated protocols; (2) harvest learning daily through check‑ins, check‑outs and after‑action reviews; (3) adopt triple‑loop learning to question goals, reframe purpose and reflect on identity; (4) recognise the “five worlds” (citizen, service, management, political/leadership, and learning) that shape organisational understanding; (5) foster honest, powerful conversations that allow freedom to act; and (6) keep purpose clear and measurable. By embedding these practices, organisations can improve the immediate pandemic response and lay the groundwork for a more resilient, purpose‑driven future.
Topics
COVID‑19 Predictability vs Black‑Swan Narrative
Taylor disputes the common framing of the pandemic as a black‑swan, arguing that scenario planning over the past two decades made it a calculable risk.
Urgency of Capturing Pandemic Learning
Emphasises that the immediate post‑earthquake phase must be used to harvest lessons before they are lost, positioning learning as a strategic asset for future shocks.
Distributed Decision‑Making and Rapid Communication
First tip: give teams clear boundaries and discretion, update protocols daily, and ensure massive communication to keep learning loops active.
Daily Learning Harvest and After‑Action Reviews
Second tip: institutionalise ‘check‑in’, ‘check‑out’, and regular retrospectives to surface rich stories and actionable insights.
Triple‑Loop Learning for Goal Reframing
Third tip: move beyond single‑loop (doing) and double‑loop (thinking) to triple‑loop learning that questions goals, purpose, and organisational identity.
Five Worlds Framework for Organisational Perspective
Fourth tip: recognise the distinct lenses of citizen, service, management, political/leadership, and learning worlds, and align them through shared learning practices.
Honest Dialogue, Freedom to Act, and Purpose Clarity
Fifth and sixth tips: foster powerful, honest conversations, renegotiate freedom to act, and keep purpose measurable to drive meaningful outcomes.
Emerging Tensions: Abuse Reporting Shifts
Observes a 25% rise in domestic‑abuse hotline calls and a drop in child‑abuse reporting, highlighting unintended consequences of the crisis.