What the Titanic Can Teach Us About Leading Through Change: Lessons for Managers and Change-makers
Recently we passed the 108th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic. The cause for the“unsinkable” ship’s demise is that it hit the underwater part of an iceberg, tearing a hole in the ship’s hull, causing it to take on too much water and sink. The apocryphal narrative is that the crew thought it had given wide enough berth to go around the iceberg and didn’t consider what they couldn’t see.
Sometimes we fall into that same narrative with our organizations and companies–we react or respond to what we can see while missing out on the things we can’t–and these “under the water” parts of the issue are what sink us.
Iceberg Model
Popularized by Peter Senge’s The Fifth Discipline, this iceberg model can help us make a change in our organization. There are four levels of questions to ask:
What happened?
What are the trends that led to that?
What systems influence those trends?
What assumptions, beliefs, or values (conscious and unconscious) shape those trends?
Starting with Vision and Mission
Description: Picture is of an iceberg with text describing systems thinking. Source: http://donellameadows.org/systems-thinking-resources/
Too often, we deal with the questions above the surface–the ones at a program or technical level–because we can see them and make quick changes. Sometimes we use trends when talking about possible solutions for the technical or program changes. However, the real opportunities for change come when we start to work on the systems, assumptions, values, and beliefs that inform and drive the system, impacting trends and program decision-making.
This is why we start at the vision, mission, and values level, gaining clarity and naming assumptions when we run our Mission Forward acceleration experiences. We want to address programs and accelerate positive trends, but we have to start by looking under the surface. Otherwise, you are just rearranging deckchairs on the Titanic.
Want to talk about your “iceberg”?
We welcome all conversations - book a chat with Chris to talk all things icebergs and mission and vision. Or if you want to read more about our Mission Forward program and offerings and its work in change management grounded in mission and vision visit the Product page.
Need a laugh today?
Saturday Night Live featured the Iceberg from the Titanic as a character in their live show last week - if a laugh is what you need to get through the day today, check it out.