The Iceberg exercise helps group members step back and identify patterns related to a problem, the structures supporting those patterns, and finally, the ingrained thinking that creates the structures. Moreover, what’s radical about working through this activity is that it helps participants identify their own mental models—how they think about a certain issue and why.

What’s in an Iceberg

On a large piece of paper, collaborating group members work from top-to-bottom, filling in entries from Events down to Mental Models. Ideas are written by group members on Post-It notes and added to the appropriate section.

Events

An event is a discrete action. It could show up as a newspaper headline. Events answer the question, what happened?

Patterns

Patterns are essentially trends—events that repeat over time. Patterns answer the questions, what’s been happening? Or, what’s been changing?

Structures

Structures are anything that relates to a pattern: rules, norms, policies, guidelines, power structures, resource distribution, etc. They answer the question, what might explain these patterns?

Mental Models

The ideas, beliefs, dogmas, and world views that support the above structures. Mental models are deeply held assumptions and beliefs that drive behavior.

The more we can understand what is happening under the surface and make it explicit or visible—especially where it relates to Mental Models—the more we will be able to influence how a system works.

Further reading: Rick Karash. “How to See Structure.”