Tool to see hidden meaning behind events
|
Introduction
How often do you find things happening around you (e.g. politics) and simply do not make any sense? Do we fail to see why we do things in a particular way? To answer those questions, we need to acknowledge that the well-known phrase “You are only seeing the tip of the iceberg” is more relatable than we would hope. Events should be treated not like outliers of a sort, but rather a consequence of something else. It is important to sometimes judge reality to learn how to live more effectively. The purpose of this lesson is to introduce you to quite a universal tool to assess what is hidden behind the ordinary events. |
Key concept
So, the Iceberg model from System Thinking enables individuals and groups to seek root causes. It offers different levels of thinking to see deeper meaning behind events.
1) The event level:
At this point, you simply observe the event which happened or and make quick assumptions or interpretation. Take, for example, having a fight with someone close. Even though a problem like this can be relatively easy to be resolved, maybe by apologizing, iceberg model motivates us not to assume that every issue can be fixed by just treating the symptom or adjusting at the event level.
2) The pattern level:
Next step would be to look deeper than event level to discover patterns. If you observe closely, you will sooner or later see that events like this already took place over time. It could be that together with arguing with your partner, you were also under increasing stress at work. By identifying patterns, we can forecast future events to then better react to them.
3) The structure level:
Even further lies the structural level. By answering the question of what is actually causing the pattern that happened in front of us, the response is usually some kind of structure. Maybe it happened due to various reasons: you have a renovation inside your office, which is very loud; gym next to home got closed, so you stopped doing sports and became more agitated – this all adds up in a structure to be blamed for having arguments with your partner.
As stated by professor J. Gerber, structure can consist of:
1. Physical things — like vending machines, roads, traffic lights or terrain.
2. Organizations — like companies, governments.
3. Policies — like rules at work, limitations etc.
4. Ritual — something you start doing unconsciously
5. The Mental Model level
At the core of it all lays the attitudes, beliefs, morals, expectations, and values that enable structures work. Sometimes it happens subconsciously, like that we learned it as kids and never managed to think about it clearly. We can find reasons of us fighting with loved one in mental models: a belief that everyone should be honest with each other even at work or that giving up on something is for weak people.
Conclusion
What have I learnt from it?
Bringing all these elements in an iceberg shape can help you live an effective and generally better life and to be balanced with the systems around you.
WHAT CAN I DO?
To apply this tool in everyday life, try assessing the recent event according to the tool and then look at the questions to see, if it was useful for a particular case:
1. Does the tool facilitate seeing the situation from another angle? If yes, how could this new perspective be of assistance?
2. Think of the concept of entry, or turning points. At such moments, one can intervene in a system that might bring systemic transformation. Did the tool help to identify such points?
Sources:
Ed Cunliff. 2015. Connecting systems thinking and action. [ONLINE] Available at: https://thesystemsthinker.com/connecting-systems-thinking-and-action/. [Accessed 1 November 2018].
M. Goodman. 2002. The Iceberg Model/. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.ascd.org/ASCD/pdf/journals/ed_lead/el200910_kohm_iceberg.pdf. [Accessed 31 October 2018].
Patrick T. Hester, Kevin MacG. Adams. 2014. Systemic Thinking: Fundamentals for Understanding Problems and Messes. [ONLINE] Available at: https://books.google.ch/books/about/Systemic_Thinking.html?id=OdYkBAAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=kp_read_button&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false. [Accessed 31 October 2018].
So, the Iceberg model from System Thinking enables individuals and groups to seek root causes. It offers different levels of thinking to see deeper meaning behind events.
1) The event level:
At this point, you simply observe the event which happened or and make quick assumptions or interpretation. Take, for example, having a fight with someone close. Even though a problem like this can be relatively easy to be resolved, maybe by apologizing, iceberg model motivates us not to assume that every issue can be fixed by just treating the symptom or adjusting at the event level.
2) The pattern level:
Next step would be to look deeper than event level to discover patterns. If you observe closely, you will sooner or later see that events like this already took place over time. It could be that together with arguing with your partner, you were also under increasing stress at work. By identifying patterns, we can forecast future events to then better react to them.
3) The structure level:
Even further lies the structural level. By answering the question of what is actually causing the pattern that happened in front of us, the response is usually some kind of structure. Maybe it happened due to various reasons: you have a renovation inside your office, which is very loud; gym next to home got closed, so you stopped doing sports and became more agitated – this all adds up in a structure to be blamed for having arguments with your partner.
As stated by professor J. Gerber, structure can consist of:
1. Physical things — like vending machines, roads, traffic lights or terrain.
2. Organizations — like companies, governments.
3. Policies — like rules at work, limitations etc.
4. Ritual — something you start doing unconsciously
5. The Mental Model level
At the core of it all lays the attitudes, beliefs, morals, expectations, and values that enable structures work. Sometimes it happens subconsciously, like that we learned it as kids and never managed to think about it clearly. We can find reasons of us fighting with loved one in mental models: a belief that everyone should be honest with each other even at work or that giving up on something is for weak people.
Conclusion
What have I learnt from it?
Bringing all these elements in an iceberg shape can help you live an effective and generally better life and to be balanced with the systems around you.
WHAT CAN I DO?
To apply this tool in everyday life, try assessing the recent event according to the tool and then look at the questions to see, if it was useful for a particular case:
1. Does the tool facilitate seeing the situation from another angle? If yes, how could this new perspective be of assistance?
2. Think of the concept of entry, or turning points. At such moments, one can intervene in a system that might bring systemic transformation. Did the tool help to identify such points?
Sources:
Ed Cunliff. 2015. Connecting systems thinking and action. [ONLINE] Available at: https://thesystemsthinker.com/connecting-systems-thinking-and-action/. [Accessed 1 November 2018].
M. Goodman. 2002. The Iceberg Model/. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.ascd.org/ASCD/pdf/journals/ed_lead/el200910_kohm_iceberg.pdf. [Accessed 31 October 2018].
Patrick T. Hester, Kevin MacG. Adams. 2014. Systemic Thinking: Fundamentals for Understanding Problems and Messes. [ONLINE] Available at: https://books.google.ch/books/about/Systemic_Thinking.html?id=OdYkBAAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=kp_read_button&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false. [Accessed 31 October 2018].