Our Iceberg is melting - An Evergreen Change management Story by John Kotter and J Rathgeber: Story telling in my way

 

❄️ Once upon a time…

In a cold and icy land far away—Antarctica—there lived a colony of penguins on a beautiful iceberg. They were a happy bunch, sliding on their bellies, catching fish, and raising little penguin chicks.

The penguins lived their lives the same way, year after year. They believed the iceberg would always be their home. They didn’t worry much. Life was predictable. Life was safe. Or so they thought.

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🐧 Fred the Curious Penguin

But one penguin named Fred was different. He was curious. He liked to observe things. While other penguins played or dozed off, Fred studied the cracks and puddles on the iceberg.

One day, Fred discovered something shocking. "Oh no!" he said. "The iceberg is melting! If we don’t do something, the whole colony will be in danger!"

But Fred was just a quiet observer. Who would believe him?

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👩‍⚖️ Enter Alice – The Brave Leader

Fred went to Alice, one of the leaders of the colony. She was strong, brave, and respected. At first, Alice didn’t believe Fred, but when he showed her the evidence, she realized: this was serious.

She took the problem to Louis, the head of the Leadership Council.

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👥 The Penguin Council

Louis called a meeting. He invited:

• The Professor – the thinker penguin,

• Buddy – cheerful and popular,

• NoNo – the grumpy old penguin who always said "No!"

They listened to Fred. Some laughed. Some frowned. And NoNo said, “This is nonsense! Icebergs don’t melt! Don’t scare the others.”

But Louis trusted Alice and Fred. “Let’s investigate,” he said.

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🔍 Investigating the Truth

The team studied the iceberg. They tested the cracks. They watched water seep into tunnels. They asked other penguins. And soon, they knew—Fred was right.

The iceberg was melting.

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🌈 A New Vision

Now came the big question: What should we do? Stay and risk drowning? Or find a new home?

Alice had an idea: “Why not become explorers—like nomads? Let’s search for a new iceberg!”

Some penguins were excited. Some were scared. Some, like NoNo, still said, “It’ll never work!”

But the team didn’t give up.

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🐥 Inspiring the Colony

They didn’t shout or threaten. They told stories. They showed little wins—like maps, discoveries, and small icebergs nearby.

They involved everyone. Even little chicks helped spread the word.

Buddy made everyone laugh. The Professor explained the science. Fred shared his journal. Slowly, the colony began to believe.

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🧊 Finding a New Home

The penguins sent out scouts. They discovered a nearby iceberg that was strong and safe. The colony prepared to move.

It wasn’t easy. Some slipped. Some cried. Some missed the old iceberg. But they kept going—together.

They reached the new iceberg and celebrated. There was joy. There was hope.

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🌟 A New Way of Life

Now, the penguins no longer assumed one place would be their home forever. They became smart, alert, and ready to change.

Fred, Alice, Louis, Buddy—even NoNo—learned that when things change, we must be brave, work together, and take action.

And so, the penguins lived happily… not ever after, but adaptively ever after

Takeaway for Business

Kotter’s 8-Step Change Process 

Kotter’s Step	Penguin Example
1. Create urgency	Fred shows danger of melting iceberg
2. Build a guiding team	Louis, Alice, Fred, and others form a team
3. Develop the vision	Vision of becoming nomadic penguins
4. Communicate the vision	Stories, humor, and enthusiasm
5. Empower action	All penguins involved in the process
6. Create short-term wins	Finding a new iceberg
7. Don’t let up	Keep looking ahead and improving
8. Make it stick	New nomadic culture adopted permanently