Our Iceberg Is Melting – John Kotter

Posted on Feb 27, 2011 |

Here’s a great system to follow for managing change successfully. John Kotter has written this fable of a penguin colony faced with an imploding iceberg and the need to do something for their survival. Initially the penguin discovering the problem doesn’t know who to turn to or trust, and is scared of the potential outcasting that has gone before by someone sticking their neck out. He finds an ally in one person on the “Leadership” team and the story progresses from there, taking us the the powerful 8 steps for changing and succeeding under any conditions. It’s an easy read – I read the whole book waiting for a plane last weekend and couldn’t put it down. Here’s the 8 steps you need to follow…

Set the Stage

1. Create a sense of urgency by helping others see the need for change and the importance of acting immediately.

2.Pull together a guiding team ensuring there is a good mix of skill sets covering Leadership, Credibility, Communication, Authority, Analytical and sense of urgency.

Decide What To Do

3. Clarify the Vision of how thing future will be different from the past, and the strategies around making that future a reality.

Make It Happen

4. Communicate the vision and strategies clearly to get understanding and buy in from as many as possible.

5. Empower others to get involved to help make the vision a reality by removing as many barriers to this as possible.

6. Short term wins need to be found and celebrated to build momentum.

7. After the initial successes push on harder and stronger… never let up. Be relentless with required changes until the vision becomes a reality.

Make It Stick

8. Cement the new culture in place and hold on to the new behaviours, making sure they succeed until they become strong enough to replace old habits or traditions.