Examples of “Boil the Ocean” in Action
Here are a few real-world examples to illustrate the meaning a bit more clearly: In order to avoid boiling the ocean in business, you must have a clear idea of your company’s or team’s objectives and available resources.
Discussions and Ocean Boiling
Many business clichés are applied to a variety of situations and, “boil the ocean” is no exception. In addition to the primary connotation of taking on an overly large and impractical or implausible task, the phrase is often used in group settings in an attempt to rein in and focus an out-of-control discussion.
“Your suggestion that we solve all of these problems at one time is boiling the ocean.““This is an important topic, but it’s a lot larger than the issue we are attempting to resolve. We are boiling the ocean and we need to focus our ideas on the immediate problem in front of us.”
Effective meeting- and discussion-management practices help minimize the threat of ocean boiling in group settings.
Always propose and gain agreement for a clear meeting agenda.Frame problems or situations carefully to ensure they have boundaries.Facilitate discussions and immediately rein in any attempt to expand the scope of the issue.As other ideas are raised that are outside the scope of the discussion, make certain to capture them on a whiteboard, flip-chart, or computer for future reference. Some facilitators describe this as putting ideas in the parking lot (another business cliché).
Boil With Care
Use the phrase, “boil the ocean” carefully or not at all. Effective communicators strive to offer clear words and images to make a point, and while the idea of an ocean boiling is a powerful image, its meaning in the workplace is often vague. At the very least, relying on clichés is usually not the most effective way to get your message across.
