Article Details
  • Published Online:
    December  2024
  • Product Name:
    The IUP Journal of Soft Skills
  • Product Type:
    Article
  • Product Code:
    IJSS041224
  • Author Name:
    Revathi Turaga
  • Availability:
    YES
  • Subject/Domain:
    Management
  • Download Format:
    PDF
  • Pages:
    38-42
Leveraging the Iceberg Model for Long-Term Solutions
Abstract

In today’s fast-paced world, we tend to focus on problems that happen in that moment, resolve them, and then move on. After a while, the same problem or a similar situation repeats, and we work towards resolving that too and moving on. Over time, without realizing it, we tend to spend a lot of time in analyzing and resolving similar issues and putting in a lot of time on the same or similar issues across the years. Instead of reacting to each situation and event separately, organizations and individuals need to start looking at the underlying patterns as well as the policies and mindsets that seem to be triggering these events. When these get focused and worked on, problems start to get resolved systemically. The paper explores the Iceberg model and how to leverage the same to look at issues in a systemic manner and find long-term solutions.

Introduction

We usually solve problems by reacting to what is visible. For example, • Personally: We see we are putting on weight and explore why—the reason comes out as we are eating more and exercising less. We then start to eat less and exercise more, and that curtails the weight gain, and we look at the problem as solved. • Organizationally: We see that a specific project seems to be getting delayed a lot and explore why—the reason comes out as the customer seems to be changing requirements frequently. We then start to get more assertive towards the customer to say no, or we tend to dig deeper to get more clarity on their requirements, and we look at the problem as solved. This is our traditional approach to problem solving. However,