Our Iceberg is Melting by John Kotter - Book Review

Fables have a deceptive power. On the surface they read like the stories of our childhood employing simple vocabulary to describe everyday contexts to which we can all relate. Their narrative structure lulls our adult brain into a false sense of security, disabling the rational analytical faculties that usually protect our cherished world view. We uncritically play along with the story until we reach the point where the fable's inner truth is unavoidable. So it is with John Kotter's Our Iceberg is Melting.

Our Iceberg is Melting presents as a children's book: it is in large print with colourful illustrations - a six year old probably would enjoy it, if he had the patience to sit for the 45 minutes it takes to read. It is the story of an Emperor Penguin colony faced with a potentially devastating problem that is threatening their home. Fred, a low-ranking quirky penguin discovers that the iceberg on which the colony has lived for unknown generations is melting and is likely to fracture. The story charts how a small group lead the colony through the process of coming up with a solution and effecting their plan.

As well written as it is, Kotter is no children's author. A Harvard Business School professor, he is one of the world's experts and best-selling author on leadership and change. "Our Iceberg is Melting is a simple fable about doing well in an ever-changing world" and the characters that we meet in Our Iceberg is Melting are 'types' that are found in every organisation. The tale "is one of resistance to change and heroic action, seemingly intractable obstacles and the most clever tactics for dealing with those obstacles" (quotes from dust jacket).

Our Iceberg is Melting is a powerful illustration of Kotter's Eight Step Process of Successful Change outlined in his book Leading Change:

1. Create a sense of urgency. Help others see the need for change and the importance of acting immediately. 
2. Pull together the guiding team. Make sure there is a powerful group guiding the change - one with leadership skills, credibility, communications ability, authority, analytical skills, and a sense of urgency.
3. Develop the change, vision and strategy. Clarify how the future will be different from the past, and how you can make that future a reality. 
4. Make sure as many others as possible understand and accept the vision and strategy.
5. Empower others to act. Remove as many barriers as possible so that those who want to make the vision a reality can do so. 
6. Create some visible, unambiguous successes as soon as possible. 
7. Don't let up. Press harder and faster after the first successes. Be relentless with initiating change after change until the vision is a reality. 
8. Create a new culture. Hold on to the new ways of behaving, and make sure they succeed, until they become strong enough to replace old traditions.

Moments of Truth - Jan Carlzon. Book Review

If you think that Richard Branson had the first and last word on lessons for leadership and management from the airline industry, then think again.

Moments of Truth summarises the strategies employed by Jan Carlzon (CEO and President) that led to the dramatic turnaround of Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) during the early 1980s. The key to Carlzon's success was that he and his team had a clear vision for SAS (that it would be "the best airline for the frequent business traveller" p.23) and that he was able to communicate this to the whole organisation. Carlzon transformed SAS by doing away with the traditional hierarchical management structure, flattening the pyramid to empower key personnel on the ground to make decisions so they can provide excellent customer service. The result was that "people throughout the company were able to see (the vision of top management) and take the initiative to put the pieces where they belonged." (p.26). The result was that Carlzon was able to shift SAS to become a customer-driven organisation that not only moved from loss to profit, but also became one of the best airlines in the world. The title "moments of truth" refers to those few key encounters between customers and key employees on the ground, on the basis of which the reputation of the whole organisation is judged (check-in assistants, air hostesses, baggage handlers etc). 

Carlzon's approach challenged traditional approaches to leadership and management: 

"By defining clear goals and strategies and then communicating them to his employees and training them to take responsibility for reaching those goals, the leader can create a secure working environment that fosters flexibility and innovation. Thus, the new leader is a listener, communicator, and an educator - an emotionally expressive and inspiring person who can create the right atmosphere rather than make all the decisions himself" (p.35-6). 

Although Moments of Truth was published 25 years ago, this book has stood the test of time and is an excellent and honest account of how one man transformed an organisation by harnessing its collective wisdom. The leadership and management principles that he employs have been picked up in books like Liz Wiseman's Multipliers and have a greater relevance and currency today.

The New Faster Face of Innovation

Technology is transforming innovation at its core, allowing companies to test new ideas at speeds—and prices—that were unimaginable even a decade ago. They can stick features on Web sites and tell within hours how customers respond. They can see results from in-store promotions, or efforts to boost process productivity, almost as quickly.

The result? Innovation initiatives that used to take months and cost a fortune to coordinate and launch can often be started in seconds for pence.

The Speed of Change

• The Evolution: Technology is allowing companies to test new ideas at speeds—and prices—that were unimaginable even a decade ago.
• The Effect: Innovation, the lifeblood of growth, is growing more efficient and cheaper.
• What’s Ahead: Innovative companies will shift away from traditional research-and-development methods. Managers will change the way they solicit ideas. And much, much more.

For more see:
'The New Faster Face of Innovation' MIT Sloan Management Review August 17, 2009