🧊 What We See Is Only the Tip of the Iceberg
When organisations set out to drive change, whether in sustainability, culture, or employee engagement, the focus often lands on what is most visible: behaviours, actions, and outcomes. But what if those behaviours are only a small part of the story?
During our recent webinar “Behavioural Science for Employee Engagement”, our founder Laura McDermott revisited a simple but powerful concept: the Iceberg Model.
The Iceberg Model: Looking Below the Surface
Much like an iceberg, what we see above the surface, people’s actions and behaviours, represents only a small percentage of what is really going on.
Below the surface sits a much larger and more influential set of factors: motivations, beliefs, values, habits, and social and cultural context. These hidden drivers shape how people think, decide, and act in their day-to-day work.
This means that when organisations try to change behaviour without understanding these deeper layers, initiatives often fall short. Not because people don’t care, but because the underlying conditions haven’t been addressed.
Why This Matters for Sustainability
In sustainability, this challenge is particularly visible.
Many organisations invest time and resources into:
awareness campaigns
reporting frameworks
new policies or guidelines
Yet still struggle to see meaningful, sustained behaviour change across culture.
The reason is often the same: we focus on what people do, without fully understanding “why” they do it. To move from intention to action, organisations need to:
understand internal mindsets and culture
design initiatives that align with real motivations
reduce friction in everyday behaviours
create environments where sustainable choices feel natural
From Insight to Practice
Understanding the “why” behind behaviour is not just a theoretical exercise. It is a practical starting point for designing better systems, processes, and experiences inside organisations.
This is something we explore in our learning programmes at Colectivo.
Sustainability in Practice (SIP)
This course focuses on helping professionals connect sustainability to their organisation’s resources, activities, and decision-making. It provides practical tools to map current operations and identify where change can happen.
Behaviour Change for Sustainability (BCS)
This course goes one step further, exploring how behavioural science can be used to design initiatives that actually lead to adoption. It introduces frameworks and approaches that help bridge the gap between strategy and action.
A More Complete Approach
When combined, these two perspectives offer a more complete way of thinking:
SIP helps you understand what needs to change
BCS helps you understand how to make that change happen
Together, they support organisations in moving beyond surface-level actions and toward deeper, more meaningful transformation.
Explore the Courses
If you're interested in exploring these ideas further, you can access the following link.
Final Thought
Real change doesn’t start with what we see. It starts with understanding what sits beneath the surface, and designing with that in mind. Because when organisations take the time to understand people, not just behaviours, change becomes not only possible, but sustainable.
