The fable of the boiling frog suggests that if you throw a live frog into boiling water it will jump out immediately, whereas if you put a frog into cool water and slowly increase the temperature to a boil, it will stay in the pot and boil. Fortunately, this is a fable and experiments suggest this is not true. The metaphor is used to describe the inability or unwillingness of people to react to threats that gradually rise compared to a sudden threat or challenge.
People and organizations inherently adopt the boiling frog principle. Our general desire for comfort and status quo inevitably is a downfall in many facets- relationships, products, employee performance, business ventures, etc. We don’t take note of warning signs that gradually build-up, and would rather tell ourselves it will change, with no impetus for such change. Yet, we react to a sudden and abrupt change. A more pragmatic approach that includes a system of identifying a gradual issue or threat and acting to alter the course with a decisive mindset to end the endeavor quickly will avert the potential horror. Do you have a boiling frog on the stove and are you merely watching the temperature rise?
