Have you ever tried to boil a frog? No, nor have I. However popular culture leads us to believe that in the 19th century, a scientist conducted an experiment on boiling a frog. It’s an anecdote often used when describing the pace and approach to organisational culture change.
The theory (and to be sure there’s no animal cruelty in this blog, it remains that, just a theory), the theory is that if you put a frog into a pot of boiling water, it will jump straight out. Of course. It’s hot, it hurts, it’s uncomfortable, it’s scary.
Therefore in order to boil a frog, put the hapless creature into a pot of cool water and gradually turn up the heat. That way the frog doesn’t notice that the water is getting hotter and hotter. Until it’s too late. In real life, of course the frog’s going to notice. They’re not stupid. Put that to one side for a moment. I’m simply using this as an analogy. In organisational culture, the message is that disengagement, lack of trust and poor employee morale gradually creeps up on the organisation.
And it’s a bit like that for the mums I work with. Have you found that a lack of confidence and loss of identity has gradually crept up on you? Perhaps you don’t realise that you have lost confidence or mislaid your identity … UNTIL you are asked to jump into that pot of boiling hot water. Then, oh yes, then you notice. Or UNTIL somebody points out to the frog “hey it’s getting really hot in here, if you don’t do something soon, you’re going to boil”.
Here’s my question for you today … are you gently boiling a frog? What has been changing ever so gradually for you? Changing so slowly that you didn’t realise?
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