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When it comes to facing a crisis – are you a frog or a starfish?
When we are faced with a crisis we have a tendency to react either like the frog that we have heard about in the boiling water or a starfish.
You’ve heard the story that motivational speakers tell about the frog, right? The one in which a frog is placed in a pot of water that is gradually brought to a boil. The frog never notices the crisis going on around it until it is frog soup. Some of us are like that frog – we don’t notice that a serious situation is developing and it’s just easy to ignore it.
Some react completely differently to a developing crisis. The starfish has been studied by marine biologists and they have noted that when the water temperature goes down by 5 degrees F that the starfish will stop eating. When that happens the mollusk population explodes! However, when the temperature goes up 5 degrees F the starfish will go on an eating binge. The starfish is completely reactionary and it’s actions are based on what it feels like. If the temperature stays low it won’t eat.
Which strategy is better? Well, neither. In one case we have a dead, boiled frog and in the other case we have a starving starfish.
If you have a tendency to wait out a problem – think of the frog. If it doesn’t move it dies.
If you have a tendency to react to your environment without a plan – think of the starfish. It may be in tune with the environment but actions without a plan can lead to death, too.
We all have a basic tendency to want to avoid problems. I would encourage you to have a friend, mentor, or coach to let you know when you are in touch with your inner frog or starfish.
Wishing you the best.
Jim
“We can’t all be lucky, but we can all be successful.”
