How should we solve a problem? Generally, what we most commonly do, is to react based on what’s visible. For example, if we eat too much food, a

How The Iceberg Model of Systems Thinking Can Help You Solve Problems?

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2021-08-31 15:30:08

How should we solve a problem? Generally, what we most commonly do, is to react based on what’s visible. For example, if we eat too much food, and we do not exercise, we will gain weight. The solution to this problem, looking solely at what happened, is eating less and exercising more. But that’s a wrong approach. In the world of systems thinking, we’ll ask this: “Why am I overeating and not exercising? What’s the real reason?” Figuring out what actually created the problem in the first place, and acting based on this realization, is what makes the iceberg model of systems thinking so damn efficient.

There are many more ways to solve a problem, of course. But what makes the iceberg model so graceful is the relentless desire to understand what’s behind the curtain. What’s the real reason something happened. And what you can do about it to make a change.

There are systems everywhere. And everything is connected. Not just our phones in the monstrously big network we call the Internet. But our actions. Nature. Our relationships with other people. A simple action that we consider insignificant can cause huge complications along the way. Or, as is often cited, “a butterfly flapping its wings can cause hurricanes.” 1