They excel at solving problems created by external forces but they fail to recognize that to learn one needs to look inward at one's own behavior. Single loop - A thermostat set to 68 degrees turns up the heat whenever the temperature drops below 68. Double Loop - One asks why the thermostat is set to 68 degrees.
Professionals have a body of knowledge that constrains their learning.
They have a difficult time thinking outside the box. They rarely fail and do not know how to learn from failure. When challenged, they become very defensive and tend to focus attention away from their behavior to that of others. Argyris calls this defensive reasoning . Professionals also go into a doom loop of despair if they don't perform perfectly or if they do not receive adequate recognition.