Article: Icebergs in September

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Icebergs in September

A closer look at this venerable diversity and inclusion training model

The iceberg diversity and inclusion training model

While many of you were sweltering in the heat of the summer, I was cruising Alaska. I found myself pondering some cooling thoughts-yes, thoughts about diversity and inclusion.

Perhaps, some of you have attended a diversity or cross-cultural training class where the image of an iceberg was transformed into a teaching model by the facilitator. If you have not, this visual model of an iceberg is used as a metaphor to further learning. Playing off the fact that 90% of an iceberg is underwater, it provides a wonderful image of how some dimensions of difference are visible, such as gender, race, and appearance, but most differences are invisible—that is, below the surface, such as style, background, culture, and life experiences. Under the direction of a skilled facilitator, the symbolic image of an iceberg provides the impetus for a flow of learning points and insights.

It wasn't until I encountered a real iceberg, up close and personal, that I realized the power of this metaphor. On my recent cruise to the inner passage of Alaska, I witnessed some of nature's most incredible wonders. Floating right outside of my window, day after day, were amazing icebergs, each a unique sculpture that proudly displayed its multidimensional qualities. When I had the opportunity to fly over icebergs on a floatplane and stand on the pontoon after it landed on a glacial lake, I was right next to what I thought was a six-foot-wide iceberg. As I looked down, into the water, I saw the tremendous mass of ice below that extended even wider and deeper. I thought about how we use the iceberg training model to make the "tip of the iceberg" point—that what you see about a person is only a small piece of who they are. In fact, our guide reminded us that the top melts faster and that the strength of an iceberg on top of the water comes from the size of the mass below the water—something we can only surmise.

If you think about this, our training model offers us even more meat (or ice, if you prefer) to chew on. In our classrooms, we present the iceberg model and ask people to think of the top of the iceberg as visible differences and then name them. They easily come up with a list. If you ask about which of these differences make a difference in the workplace, in terms of how a person is treated or the opportunities he or she might get or not get as a result of those differences, the conversations becomes a bit more intense. We are now talking about judgments about people, profiles of success, and who is deemed to "fit" an organization. It's amazing how a work group can come to consensus around three or four visible dimensions of diversity that make either a positive or negative difference in a person's ability to succeed.

Read part two, with five insights about this diversity and inclusion training model: Learning about diversity.

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