37 pages 1 hour read

John Kotter, Holger Rathgeber, Illustr. Peter Mueller

Our Iceberg Is Melting: Changing and Succeeding Under Any Conditions

Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 2005

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Chapters 12-16

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapter 12 Summary: “Changing and Succeeding”

In the next few chapters, the authors offer further ideas on how to make use of the story. They suggest first that readers “start doing. Trust your instincts” (127).

Chapter 13 Summary: “The Penguins and You”

Readers should ask themselves which of the story’s main characters “behaves most like you” (128). Readers also should keep an eye out for people whose temperaments complement their own. There will be NoNos who resist needed changes, but these doubters should be included in decision making—their concerns will contribute to the process.

Chapter 14 Summary: “The Eight-Step Process of Successful Change”

Every group eventually faces its own “melting iceberg.” The penguins’ process of solving their own crisis uses the Eight-Step method described below, which will work for any organization, “whether they have 100 people or 100,000 people, are privately owned or public, or are high tech or low tech” (129).

The process begins with setting the stage: “1. Create a Sense of Urgency” and “2. Pull Together the Guiding Team” (131). The group will need a strong “why” and a team of motivated leaders with a variety of skills who can learn to work well together. The next section of the process is deciding what to do: “3. Develop the Change Vision and Strategy” (132).