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According to : “The Iceberg Model is a systems thinking tool designed to help an individual or group discover the patterns of behavior, supporting structures, and mental models that underlie a particular event.” In content marketing, the Iceberg Principle is very relevant. In fact, what is going on underneath may be even more important. The content marketer carefully selects the audience.įor content marketers, what is going on below the surface is just as important as what the content is saying outright. “A theory that suggests that aggregated data can hide information that is important for the proper evaluation of a situation.”Ĭontent marketing focuses on creating, publishing, and distributing content for an online audience. Monash University in Australia has the following definition of the Iceberg Principle: Of the estimated 2,224 humans on board, more than 1,500 lost their lives. The Titanic was a British passenger liner that collided with an iceberg in 1912 and sank. The Titanic sank because of damage that came from below the waterline, i.e., damage the crew could not see. As with an iceberg, only its tip is visible, while the bulk of it is below the water’s surface, i.e., invisible. The theory, which we also call the ‘ Theory of Omission‘ or ‘ Iceberg Model,’ applies to systems and problems too. Of course, there is a lot more I could say on the matter, but try to think of this blog as the tip of the iceberg (again, sorry).The Iceberg Principle or Iceberg Theory is a theory that suggests that we cannot see or detect most of a situation’s data. It is also an effective way of processing conflict to build, maintain, and restore relationships. But it is a useful way of identifying personal triggers and improving self-awareness. It doesn't mean that all behavior is acceptable if there is an underlying reason for it. The iceberg theory of behavior does not absolve you of wrongdoing. The iceberg theory helped me to put our interaction into a context where neither one of us was the villain - we were both just people dealing with things beneath the surface. He might have been suffering from depression or have a naturally anxious disposition. It might have been his first day on the job. For all I knew, he might have had a pathological fear of dogs caused by childhood trauma. This approach also helped me to rationalize the delivery driver's behavior. My outburst was disproportionate and misdirected, but it was a symptom of a deeper issue - emotional burnout. Once I understood why I had behaved the way I had, it was much easier to forgive myself. The delivery driver's anger, though understandable, was the spark that lit the fuse of my rage. I was frazzled, frustrated, aching, and exhausted. I had just finished dealing with a 40-minute cookie-related meltdown from my three-year-old while cleaning shards of glass from the kitchen floor after attempting to empty the dishwasher with a squirming six-month-old on my hip, and that very same seven-pound dog with a Napoleon complex had been sick on the rug. Then, as I lay in bed, I thought about what had happened in the 10 minutes before that knock on the door. Why did I react that way? Why didn't I just apologize and diffuse the situation? I felt awful for the rest of the afternoon. Using the Iceberg Theory to Identify Personal TriggersĪs soon as he left, I was riddled with guilt for my behavior. Luckily a neighbor was able to calm him down, and he belligerently handed over the package and got back in his van as I wordlessly closed the door. I shouted back that he was overreacting and being ridiculous. I promise he's harmless - he just slipped through my legs." He shouted angrily (and repeatedly), "You should learn to control your dog! Sort out your dog! What are you doing?!"Īt that point, I should have said "I'm so sorry he scared you. The man jumped backward down my front steps, nearly falling over and actually dropping his keys, phone, and the package he'd come to deliver. As I opened it, my seven-pound dog with a Napoleon complex slipped through my legs and ran, barking, at the driver.
#ICEBERG MODEL EXAMPLES DRIVER#
I was playing with my girls when a delivery driver knocked on the door. Last week I was needlessly rude to someone. This is one theory that really holds water (sorry). It is also a great tool to have in your back pocket when dealing with problems in personal relationships and practicing self-awareness.
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The theory is used widely in business, psychology, and academia. What a person does is "the tip of the iceberg"- what we don't see are the emotional, social, cultural, and other factors that lie beneath the surface and cause that behavior. The iceberg theory is a frequently cited model of behavior which states that a person's behavior can only be properly understood in the context of the factors that caused it.
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