Is Your Iceberg Melting?
Stories can be a powerful way to teach a lesson… In this memorable story- Our Iceberg Is Melting : Changing and Succeeding Under Any Conditions by Spenser Johnson. M.D., John Kotter, Holger Rathgeber, and Peter Mueller, Antarctic penguins are forced to deal with the issue of change. They address the need to assess it, initiative it and work collaboratively with other penguins to accomplish and succeed.
As the story goes… one astute penguin discovers that the iceberg the group has been living on is slowly melting. Over time, he has to convince the “experts” on the iceberg that it is really happening. He manages to convince others of the pending disaster and the penguin leadership council begins to look at the issue. As they study the situation they find themselves in, they decide to send out Scouts to find a new place to live (they got this idea from talking with a seagull!) The group begins to understand that who they are is not tied to where they live. They gain a new sense of freedom and begin to pro-actively address the crisis.
There are 8 key steps in dealing with change according to Kotter and Rathgeber that come to life as told in this fable.
Step 1: CREATE A SENSE OF URGENCY- Leaders must help others see the need for change and the importance of acting immediately
STEP 2: PULL TOGETHER THE GUIDING TEAM- Leaders must organize a powerful group to guide the change process.
STEP 3: DEVELOP THE CHANGE AND VISION STRATEGY- Leaders must show how the future will be accomplished!
STEP 4: COMMUNICATE FOR UNDERSTANDING AND BUY-IN- Leaders must effectively share the message and help others accept the vision and strategy.
STEP 5: EMPOWER OTHERS TO ACT- Leaders must remove barriers to allow others to follow-through on their part of the change process.
STEP 6: PRODUCE SHORT-TERM WINS- Leaders must ensure immediate success so others are encouraged by progress.
STEP 7: DON’T LET UP- Leaders must keep the pressure on and insist that the change process continues until the vision is accomplished.
STEP 8: CREATE A NEW CULTURE- Leaders must ensure that the new way of behaving becomes permanent and is now part of the culture.
This book is a quick read and works well as a book study with school staff dealing with the complexity of change. The journey of the penguins parallels the typical responses to change by individuals that we might see in education and demonstrates how through effective leadership and teamwork, obstacles can be overcome.
Is your iceberg melting? Are you prepared to abandon the sinking iceberg and seek the future? How does your school react to the changing times of the 21st century? Is your school focusing on continuous improvement?
