No one seems to agree about the origin of the term “sacred cow.” Before it emerged as an idiom in America in the latter part of the 19th Century, some believe the term simply described the elevated place cows enjoyed in Hinduism. Or, the term may have originated with the legendary hero, Prithu, who assumed the form of a cow to encourage his subjects to raise more vegetables. But some also accuse Prithu of chasing and capturing the earth goddess Prithvi, who fled in the form of a cow and eventually agreed to yield her milk to feed the world. Greeks and Egyptians also have their own references to goddesses who took the form of cows. As often happens with legends and organizational myths, history gets messy. About this, however, everyone seems to agree: In modern usage, the term “sacred cow” refers to an idea or practice people consider, often unreasonably, immune to question or criticism.
We revere our sacred cows for several reasons. Most important, they help us avoid embarrassment, surprises, and threats. Even when employees show great competency in a particular skill, they often show greater expertise in protecting what they hold dear. After a while, leaders build corrals for their sacred cows—organizational black holes where everyone repeats the hallowed mantra, “We must win. We must not lose,” even if experimenting could eventually lead to much bigger success.
How often do you hear, “We’ve always done it that way,” the mantra of those defending the status quo? Even when evidence, research, and innovation demands change, those who influenced the original decision will steadfastly embrace “we’ve always done it that way” thinking. The thoughts themselves become sacred cows—opinions no one dares to question.
When people in a hospital deem a topic off-limits, they eliminate scrutiny, evaluation, and measurement as they stick with what they’ve always considered sacrosanct. They tie their own hands and limit their opportunities for growth, success, and job fulfillment.
But when they question “holy teachings” as part of their day-to-day operations, they unleash their potential to solve problems in new ways, approach challenges with optimism, and simultaneously boost their corporate self-esteem and fill their coffers. Killing sacred cows is the first step, cooking them with a new tough-call recipe, the second.
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