Staying clear of boiling-frog syndrome [work environment]

Twenty years ago an old timer warned me not to ignore the danger signs of a work environment´s slow degradation. He called this phenomenon boiling-frog syndrome. I do not know how or where the metaphor originated. But the boiling-frog syndrome still stands as a warning to managers and team members not to ignore the signs of negative institutional inertia that portend eventual failure. For an improved work environment, it´s important to first recognize signs of hot water and then turn down the heat.