The Iceberg Model
As a young leader, it can be challenging when your team isn't doing what you want them to. Instinctively you want to tell them what to do and give advice, but it gets frustrating when they keep repeating the same actions and can’t seem to achieve a breakthrough.
In my experience, coaching is often more effective than simply telling or instructing others. The Iceberg Model provides a useful framework to explain this concept.
What is the Iceberg Model?
The Iceberg Model suggests that the behaviours and actions we usually see in people are just the “tip of the iceberg”, so to speak. But hidden beneath the surface are a lot more other factors driving those person’s behaviours and actions above the water, such as their beliefs, values, assumptions and underlying thoughts.
When leaders only give orders and instructions, they are only addressing the visible aspects of the iceberg. While this may lead to short-term compliance, it rarely results in sustainable growth or development. Here’s why:
1. Our information may not be complete. What we hear has gone through many filters, and advice given may end up being irrelevant.
2. Our own values and experience can cause us to be biased in our advice and feedback. When a team hasn’t personally experienced the same things we have, our instructions may not resonate with them and they are more likely to reject it.
3. We assume our people lack knowledge, but they may not. Yes, there will be times when people don’t know what they don’t know, and that’s where teaching and instructions come in handy. But oftentimes progress is hindered by a lack of perspective and not a lack of knowledge. For perspectives to change, one needs to reflect on their own thoughts and behaviour. My coach once told me, “Don’t go to action when there is no self-awareness.”
To create lasting change and growth in individuals, it is essential to address the underlying aspects rather than focusing solely on their visible behaviours and actions. By using the coaching approach, leaders can help their team members explore their underlying beliefs, assumptions, and thoughts, allowing individuals to gain insights, expand their self-awareness, and challenge their existing perspectives.
Coaching is a powerful technique - when someone becomes an active participant in their own learning journey, through a non-invasive process of thoughtful questioning, active listening and space-holding, they learn to take ownership of their own growth and development. ●