Too Many Cooks Spoil the Broth
My husband and I lived in a college campus apartment for two years. It was so small we had to push our table against the wall to open the back door. Just as too many cooks crowded our kitchen, too many cooks spoil the broth.
When too many cooks add too many ingredients, broth tastes terrible.
The same applies to too many:
- Managers
- Coaches
- Music conductors
- Agencies
Too many cooks spoil the broth offers a word to the wise.
It cautions against several people trying to:
- Do the same task.
- Gain control.
- Influence an outcome.
When that happens, the work:
- Results in confusion.
- May be ruined.
- Has little chance of success.
The Phrase Finder lists a similar proverb in 1575 by English historian John Hooker.
In The Life and Times of Sir Peter Carew, Hooker wrote, “There is the proverb, the more cooks the worse potage.”
Several similar proverbs exist.
- Too many cooks in the kitchen
- (A shortened phrase) Too many cooks
- Too many cooks spoil the soup (or stew).
Extra workers usually help. Extra managers often hurt.
Completing the work is more important than taking credit for it.
Whether we manage or not, let’s faithfully do what God calls us to do.
“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’” (Matthew 25:23 NIV)
Thanks to Joyce McCullough for the suggestion.
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