Changemaker Resource

The Iceberg Model

An absolutely foundational tool to think and act more systemically.

Going through the Iceberg Model is an essential step for any project seeking to create profound change. When done properly, it can not only unlock new insights and possibilities, but also make your work and communication a whole lot easier. This template will be your ally.

Get now for free or upgraded

The iceberg model is a useful tool to reflect on the complex social or environmental challenges we care about and seek to address. Changeworkers often inadvertently find themselves fighting the symptoms of the real issues. Our entire society is geared towards this.

For those who want to go deeper, to understand how the challenges are maintained in place and what the power dynamics behind this are, the iceberg model is a good entry point.

After applying the iceberg model, you will:

Have greater clarity at what is actually a symptom of a deeper issue, and what keeps the current problems in place
Have a sense of the root causes, the paradigms underpinning the challenge you are working on (which also allows you to reflect on how to embody the change you wish the see more in your life and work)
Have identified intervention points, for instance specific law changes or redistributions of power that are necessary to truly create a profound transformation

Start your Iceberg Model Today

Use-case examples

Reflect by yourself on the different layers that constitute the challenge you are focused on, name root causes and identify leverage points, so that you can continue your work with deeper clarity

Introduce the iceberg model to a group you're working with, for example your students or team, to reflect not just on the challenge but also on the kinds of strategies that are commonly deployed to address it

Work with the iceberg model in a stakeholder gathering, to expand everyone's ability to think systemically and see how the issue is maintained in place, supporting the collective in acting more strategically

"I found the iceberg model incredibly helpful to go "below the surface" of why things are the way they are. It's often easy to only map observed behaviours and outcomes but the iceberg model allows us to dig deeper in identifying the unspoken rules and power dynamics that hold up the current systems.It also suggests different types of solutions or actions depending on the level of the iceberg that you want to address. I find myself going back to the iceberg model I built with Nora's direction over and over again and finding new layers of complexity and opportunity in the problem area I'm working on!"

Joana Flores, health innovation specialist

The Iceberg Model is a staple in my speeches and workshops.

I have applied it to support the leadership team of a household name NGO in thinking more systemically. I have run the mayors of all Swiss towns through it to express the need to address root causes, rather than only fight the symptoms. I have used it in a lab with big foundations to explore how we might fund systems change. No matter the context, or how many time the people involved have worked with the model, new insights always come out, and it serves as a great foundation for further exploration into systems change work. I can't wait to hear what you do with it!

Download the Iceberg Model Today!