Introduction
In Our Iceberg Is Melting, John Kotter and Holger Rathgeber tell a story about penguins whose iceberg is melting and cracking to transfer the message of the importance of organizational change. In the ever-changing environment, companies are expected to continuously adapt to maintain their competitive advantage and reach success through a collective culture of innovation (Kotter and Rathgeber 10). The authors created a set of unique penguin characters, and their qualities can be transferred to various types of team members at organizations, including a leader (the Professor), critics of the organizational change (NoNo), optimistic and skilled workers (Louis and Alice), novices (Fred and Buddy), as well as pragmatic and educated workers (Jordan). The chosen characters that work together represent a strong team that is willing to act effectively in the organizational setting while NoNo is the archetype of workers who are highly resistant to change.
Character Review
The Professor is the character who takes the lead in attempting to solve the problem of the melting iceberg. The main strength of the character is that he has a specific idea – gathering a team that could meet the challenge. In addition, he has a positive attitude that the various experiences of team members could help save the iceberg. The Professor’s weakness is that he did not consider the limitations of his plans in depth, which often happens in the organizational context. His role in a group change process was fundamental because he had a plan and wanted to act quickly, which suggests that getting optimal performance from him requires setting a specific problem for him to solve. [NAME] fits in the Professor’s role the most because they are always oriented at problem-solving.
Louis can be considered the team’s manager who knows how to explain complicated issues to his teammates because he was aware that his audience could not efficiently understand the plan’s details. His strength is that he understands the plan and ensures that the team is on board, showing initiative in simplifying steps, which is something that effective managers do. Louis may be seen as too persistent and authoritarian in his efforts to lead the team. To get optimal performance from Louis, he should be asked to create a team management strategy within the organizational change process. [NAME] fits in this character’s role because they are very person-oriented and like managing people.
Alice is another strong character who is focused on reaching her goals and treats her teammates equally all the time. Her strengths are that she is very selfless and a good listener, which makes it easier for Fred to explain his fears to her. In addition, Alice is a skilled negotiator and is trusted by other penguins. Her weakness is that she is not very well-versed in sciences. To get optimal performance from Alice, leaders should delegate the responsibility of supporting others through the process of change. [NAME]’s qualities align with Alice’s character because they feel the most useful when they can offer support and guidance to others.
Leadership Analysis
A change process that needs leadership is an organization-wide digital transformation that entails the restructuring of manual operations and automating them using digital means. A leader can utilize the skills and competencies of each type of teammate described in Our Iceberg is Melting. For instance, in a situation where workers will have to digitalize their correspondence and use IT to optimize procedures, such employees that fit the Professor’s role are necessary to think through the technological part of the process. To get the most out of this worker, it is essential to present them with the challenge that needs solving. To offset the negatives, a leader should engage in transparent communication and control every step of the process.
Within the change process, the effective negotiation and communication skills inherent to such workers as Louis are crucial for managing the team and assigning responsibilities. Getting the most out of a manager requires setting clear expectations and outcomes on which they can rely for problem-solving. Offsetting the negatives is possible through consistent meetings with the manager and measuring the outcomes along the way. Notably, a good communicator not in the manager’s role, as represented by Alice, is an employee who can assume a supportive role and help explain the change process. A leader should encourage her to help workers meet smaller goals, and assess the challenges they may encounter. To address the negatives associated with such a role, it is necessary to assume more control over the employee and continuously gather feedback from her.
Conclusion
To conclude, every team member in the organization is unique in their characteristics that could either facilitate or limit processes that take place within a company. In Our Iceberg is Melting, the authors painted a picture of a traditional organization and the roles that employees may assume within the company’s context. A leader’s responsibility is to understand every employee’s strength and weakness and know how to handle them to improve processes and maximize performance.
Work Cited
Kotter, John, and Holger Rathgeber. Our Iceberg Is Melting: Changing and Succeeding Under Any Conditions. Penguin Random House, 2016.