Misunderstood: The Iceberg
As an instructor in the area of Human Resources and Occupational Safety, many of my students fail to understand the concept that what you see isn’t always what it seems. For example, when an employee in the workplace acts out (in a way never seen before) it is an experienced professional that will delve into what is really at play. For students, they see misbehaviour as something that should be disciplined as per company policies and procedures.
On a regular basis, I have found that when an employee in the workplace suddenly acts out, there is much more it to than appears to the naked eye. Taking the time to talk to an employee and ask key questions often unearths a multitude of underlying pressures, issues and concerns that may not justify the beviour but certainly explains it.
I have been thinking about a way to explain this concept using a metaphor or photo that might make it clear to my HR and Safety students that it takes time, patience and investigative skills to unearth the truth as we cannot always see everything at play. I have decided that a photo of an iceberg is the perfect way to demonstrate that we only see a small part of what makes up a person at the surface but there is a large body of information underneath that we cannot see and this hidden information influences how an individual behaves. It is our job to understand what is motivating an employees behaviour in order to apply the appropriate solution, such as professional counselling.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Iceberg.jpg
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https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Iceberg.jpg
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