The "Whack–a–Mole" analogy helps us understand the importance of organizational learning in a quality–focused organization. Whack-a-Mole is a game played in amusement parks. You get a soft mallet, and hit any robotic moles that pop up from various holes. The person who whacks the most moles in a round wins a prize. Whack-Mole at work refers to reacting to problems when they occur, as frantically as they arise.

Playing Whack–a–Mole at work is a result of task mismanagement. In effect you are spending more time reacting to errors in the production process than in initiating sound quality management practices. The time spent responding to errors detracts from using time proactively to improve the quality management process. By shifting your time to focus on quality techniques, the time needed to play Whack–a–Mole will be substantially reduced.