I've only used the basic iceberg till now (what you refer to as your go-to version to introducing the iceberg) and found it super-useful. Didn't know there were so many versions. so useful. learnt a lot. thanks for this post... !
Great post, Zainab -- thank you. My only issue with the iceberg model is that it doesn't inspire action as a metaphor. I like that it illuminates the subterranean (underwater) forces that impact the thing we see. But the implication implicit in the illustration/metaphor is that the highest-leverage points of intervention/transformation are those points farthest underwater. So... to what end? To tip the iceberg over? To make it smaller?
I like Meadows because you can see them figuratively as levers to pull; Archimedes and the world, with direct visual implications for action. You've probably already seen it in my last post, but this is the reason I always use a visual that gets at that idea (even though the categories may vary, whether you prefer FSG, TheoryU, Meadows herself... there's actually a lot of congruence between them): https://citizenstout.substack.com/p/we-need-to-talk-about-scale
Hi Brian, you are quite right. I have always found iceberg useful in a facilitated conversation where each level is a nudge towards action. And synthesis of actions across levels can be a strategy / plan.
Wondering aloud, are there any other tools that inspire action?
Also, great post on scale. I really enjoyed reading it.
I've only used the basic iceberg till now (what you refer to as your go-to version to introducing the iceberg) and found it super-useful. Didn't know there were so many versions. so useful. learnt a lot. thanks for this post... !
Great post, Zainab -- thank you. My only issue with the iceberg model is that it doesn't inspire action as a metaphor. I like that it illuminates the subterranean (underwater) forces that impact the thing we see. But the implication implicit in the illustration/metaphor is that the highest-leverage points of intervention/transformation are those points farthest underwater. So... to what end? To tip the iceberg over? To make it smaller?
I like Meadows because you can see them figuratively as levers to pull; Archimedes and the world, with direct visual implications for action. You've probably already seen it in my last post, but this is the reason I always use a visual that gets at that idea (even though the categories may vary, whether you prefer FSG, TheoryU, Meadows herself... there's actually a lot of congruence between them): https://citizenstout.substack.com/p/we-need-to-talk-about-scale
Hi Brian, you are quite right. I have always found iceberg useful in a facilitated conversation where each level is a nudge towards action. And synthesis of actions across levels can be a strategy / plan.
Wondering aloud, are there any other tools that inspire action?
Also, great post on scale. I really enjoyed reading it.