There is another important way in which system two movement can yield a distinctive form of learning. Cycles tend to elicit ceremony. Even if it is just a sigh of relief when at the end of a work week or a cup of coffee at the start of a new day, there are moments when we repeat certain “rituals” to acknowledge the start or end of something. “Ceremonial learning” can also take on a larger and more formal function—related to an important motivator called “generativity.” As Gary Quehl and I have noted (Bergquist and Quehl, 2019), we are generative when we care deeply about and engage in actions that are aligned with this deep caring. There are ceremonies of caring that honor transitions such as weddings, anniversaries, births, new jobs, retirement and (finally) death. Each of these ceremonies concerns the need for new learning associated with profound change. There also are ceremonies that commemorate past achievements, heroic actions, and emerging challenges. These ceremonies encourage learning about the past so that we can do better in the future. Or they encourage new learning regarding what is about to occur.
These cyclical celebrations tend to occur in unique settings that suggest what is learned will differ from that which is experienced and learned in other settings (Graeber and Wengrow (2021). They also tend to elicit Vaill’s feeling learning. Repeated cycles produce reflexive (tacit) learning and ceremony-based learning that penetrate our heart as well as our head. As Vaill notes (1996, p. 74):
“. . . in permanent white water, learning is not restricted to facts and methods. We are also possessed of learning attitudes – attitude of curiosity, courage, trust, self- respect, tough-mindedness., optimism, and an ability to keep a sense of perspective.”
These important attitudes are found in the midst of repetition. They are rarely acquired in one setting or at one sitting. We learn “in our bones” by experiencing and responding to similar events a second and third time. We ensure that this in-the-bones learning is retained by embedded and celebrating it in ceremony. We learn again and again every time we attend the church service, blow out the candles on our birthday cake, or witness a couple taking their wedding vows.
System Three—Non-Movement [Stagnation]: One’s initial impression might be that there is little to learn in a system that isn’t moving. Stagnation implies status quo and closed-mindedness. I would suggest that this is a misconception. There is much to learn about the way things now exist and operate in any system. This can be framed as “appreciative learning.” We focus on that which is strong and effective in our current work environment. We come to appreciate that which is right in front of us. Like Jimmy Steward in “A Wonderful Life) we discover that we have made an important difference in the world where we live and work. And we don’t need an angel to guide us—though an appreciative coach or consultant might be of value.
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