John Kotter’s Our Iceberg is Melting is a text that uses the parable of a community of penguins on an iceberg to present effective steps when a company is considering making a change. The text provides an eight step model that, when followed, will ideally result in a successful change while ideally mitigating any impending disaster. Change is often met with resistance, so the text highlights how to avoid potential resistances to change and framing the change within the larger company culture as being a positive experience.
The text begins with a description of an iceberg that has been in place for many years, and currently inhabited by a community of penguins who called the iceberg home. One of the penguins, named Fred, begins to observe changes in the iceberg that make him think the iceberg is melting. However, Fred also has memories of another penguin, Harold, who made similar observations in the past and was socially rejected and isolated as a result. When considering how to proceed, Fred attempts to tell another who would be most likely to listen to his concerns with credibility, Alice. Alice at first does not believe Fred, but agrees to give him the chance to prove otherwise, and he is successful in doing so.
The second section involves Fred and Alice attempting to convince leadership that not only is there a problem, but that failing to deal with the problem will result in catastrophe. The council of penguins, upon hearing the matter, seem to show resistance: at first, the resistance is centered upon not being convinced there is a significant problem. Fred proves the problem with a water bottle experiment, showing how melting and refreezing is indeed occurring on the island. This convinces the council, but they are still hesitant in releasing this information to the public, instead opting to discuss the manner as a trivial concern. Alice convinces the council otherwise, that instead of concealing this truth with the rest of the penguins, they should communicate the urgency to all involved.
Although many of the penguins, even after being faced with the gravity of the situation, refuse to put a collective effort into solving the issue, Fred and Alice are able to comprise a dedicated team, including among the leadership with Louis, the head penguin, and a Professor penguin who understands the parameters needed to carry out a plan. They look for others within the colony to join the team, but receive the most help from a seagull who suggested that the penguins adopt a nomadic life, which represents a significant shift from their usual manner of living.
From here, we begin to see how the idea of change takes root within the colony. The penguins set out various scouting teams to look for other icebergs. Although there is additional resistance and challenge from many of the penguins, the scouts are soon successful in identifying another island where they can live. This results in a chain reaction of efficiency, as each of the penguins, now convinced of the impending threat, contribute to the change that ultimately results in the discovery of a new iceberg where the penguins can live. Not only does this resolve the immediate problem of the currently melting iceberg, it introduces a culture where scouts can continuously look for more hospitable living spaces. Once the colony has successful experience in making this drastic change, they are better equipped to making similar changes in the future. This highlights how the experience of change can often have a positive impact for an organisation, which is the central theme of the text.
Following the conclusion of the parable, Kotter outlines eight key steps in a model of change that were illustrated in the preceding narrative. This is a defined, eight step model that can be used to instigate and implement a successful change process.
The first step is to create a sense of urgency, which often involves providing evidence to others that change is necessary, and there are consequences for not going forth with a potential change. In the parable, this was evidenced in convincing the council of penguins that the current iceberg was in danger of melting. At first they remained unconvinced, but the water bottle experiment proved this urgency.
The second step is to pull together a dedicated team. This is the core team that will assess the proper protocols for change. In the parable, this was the team that included the Head Penguin, Fred, Alice, the Professor, and a few other penguins. Each team member was utilised for his or her strengths.
The third step is to develop a change vision and strategy. In other words, it is not simply enough to identify that a change must be made; rather, the specific solution should be theorised and considered a goal for change. This may require some outside-the-box thinking; in the parable, this problem was demonstrated through a series of steps the penguins might make to save the currently melting iceberg, but the real insight came from the seagull, who recommended that the colony of penguins relocate to a different iceberg. This realisation solidified the plan to move to a different location, rather than trying to save the melting one.
The fourth step is to communicate for understanding, or convincing others that not only is a change necessary, but that working together can help resolve the issue. This was seen in the parable in the manner the team of penguins were eventually able to convince others of the severity of the problem, even after facing initial resistance.
The fifth step involves empowering others to act. This can be seen in the formation of the scouting team, which was eventually successful in locating a new iceberg the penguins could use as their home. The barriers that were removed to make this happen were customs and traditions that generally did not involve scouting; however, by changing these cultural limitations, a scouting team was eventually formed.
The sixth step is to produce short-term wins, which can boost morale. In the parable, this is demonstrated after the initial scouting team returns, and even though they are famished and some are injured, they have the promise of hope and tell others what they found. A celebration is ensued upon their return, and this is a short term win that provides hope for the rest of the colony. The short term win therefore provides motivation to continue.
The seventh step is to not let up, and to not settle with one simple victory, but instead to constantly seek newer victories until the goal is met. This can be seen in the dedication of the scouts to keep hunting until a new home can be found, even though some of their travels are dangerous.
The final and eighth step is to create a new culture once goals have been achieved. The penguins are successful in finding a new home, but rather than simply settling for their new home, which is good enough, they are further motivated to find an even better home. Thus, the concept of continuously improving one’s circumstances is introduced to the colony. Organisational change is therefore completed after the eighth step, and by following this model, not only will change avert disaster, it can result in better long term strategies.
