Business Ethics Lecture Series - Part 35 - CHANGE MANAGEMENT

The Art of Change Management

SLOW DEATH

A Teaching Story

By 

VIKRAM KARVE 

 

I once read a teaching story called "Slow Death" which encapsulates the art of change management. 

Here is the story for you to read...

 

If you try to place a frog in a pot of boiling water the frog will immediately try to scramble out.

 

Now try this.

Gently place the frog in a pot of water which is at normal room temperature and don’t scare him.

The frog will stay put and remain in the water.

 

Now place the pot of water with the frog on a stove on a very slow fire so that the temperature of the water starts changing very very gradually so it’s hardly discernible.

 

You may observe something very interesting happening.

As the temperature rises slowly the frog will do nothing.

At first, the frog may show every sign of enjoying himself.

As the temperature gradually increases, the frog will start becoming groggier and groggier until he is unable to climb out of the pot.

 

Though there is nothing restraining him, the frog will sit there and peacefully boil to death in the water.

 

Why?

 

Because the frog’s internal apparatus for sensing threats to survival is geared up to react to sudden changes in his environment, not to slow, gradual change.

 

It’s the same with us, isn’t it?  

This concept is the key to implementing Change Management...you must bring in the change so slowly, gradually and seamlessly that it is imperceptible. 

There is one more inference from this story. Conventional wisdom says that one learns from experience but this story debunks this theory and in fact highlights that the fact that the concept of learning from experience is in fact a delusion, a fallacy, and in some cases experience may make you complacent. In fact, for effective change management you must first "empty your cup" and start afresh.

VIKRAM KARVE
Copyright © Vikram Karve 2010
Vikram Karve has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.

© vikram karve., all rights reserved. 

VIKRAM KARVE educated at IIT Delhi, ITBHU, The Lawrence School Lovedale, and Bishop's School Pune, is an Electronics and Communications Engineer by profession, a Human Resource Manager and Trainer by occupation, a Teacher by vocation, a Creative Writer by inclination and a Foodie by passion. An avid blogger, he has written a number of fiction short stories and creative non-fiction articles in magazines and journals for many years before the advent of blogging. His delicious foodie blogs have been compiled in a book "Appetite for a Stroll". Vikram lives in Pune with his family and pet Doberman girl Sherry, with whom he takes long walks thinking creative thoughts.

Vikram Karve Creative Writing Blog : http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm
Academic Journal Vikram Karve – http://karvediat.blogspot.com/
Professional Profile of Vikram Karve - http://www.linkedin.com/in/karve
Email: vikramkarve@sify.com
Foodie Book: Appetite for a Stroll  

http://books.sulekha.com/book/appetite-for-a-stroll/default.htm

http://www.flipkart.com/appetite-stroll-vikram-karve/8190690094-gw23f9mr2o

 

© vikram karve., all rights reserved.