Too many cooks spoil the broth [proverb]

Meaning:

• it means if two or more than two people be responsible for one task, it’s doomed to be failure.

Examples:

1. If two chefs cook a soup, that soup will be so salty or without salt. Too many cooks spoil the broth.
2. Before the wedding, the spouses had said they would respect each other. But after that, the bride insisted on making decisions herself and said: “too many cooks spoil the broth.”
3. Following ten methods at the same time made start-up achieve nothing because too many cooks were spoiling the broth.
4. The organization’s multiple bosses was a real model of how too many cooks can spoil the broth.
5. For designing the app, let each programmer work on their own application. Do not let them dictate each other. Too many cooks would spoil the broth.

Synonym for too many cooks spoil the broth

Too many hands, too little work

• The several people working in a group were working in confusing way. Too many hands, too little work, and nothing will be done right.
• When everyone tries to lead the restaurant staff, the dinner will be ruined. Too many hands, too little work.
• The manager taught us that assigning one task to bunch of people will result in too many hands, too little work.
• A leader should have clear roles. Otherwise, it becomes a sample of too many hands, too little work.

More heads less clarity

Used when you want to convey if several people help in making decision it will be more confusing.

• We added people more than we needed, but it only led to more heads less clarity.
• In the meeting last night, everyone had a different comment. More heads less clarity.
• Finding a good and experienced consultant is better than studying variation of idea, it’s just more heads less clarity.
• Refrain from doing all jobs by all the labor force. Delegate tasks, otherwise it will turn into more heads less clarity.

Too many chiefs and enough many Indians

Use to say that the are many leaders but less people obey in a group or a complex.

• We lost the match because there were too many chiefs and not enough Indians. everyone wanted to proceed his own technique, but no one wanted to do the main work.
• In the kitchen, I saw too many chiefs and not enough Indians, everyone has their own orders but no one cooked nothing.
• That company didn’t last long. Because they hired managers before staff. Too many chiefs and not enough Indians.
• At the meeting all members wanted to deploy their own idea. This is right that too many chiefs and not enough Indians.

Too many people work on the same

Not to lead group and assign every member’s role correctly will be an unsuccessful job.

• The mission failed because too many people worked on the same task, and no one knew their responsibility.
• When too many people work on the same job, the slides will finish with untidiness and inconsistency.
• We need to assign roles to each person. Right now, too many people are working on the same thing and it will be in vain.
• The movie has turned into a mess because too many people worked on the same version without coordination.

Too many chefs in the kitchen

Means existing of many decision makers in a team make things worse and confusing.

• In our firm everyone wants to take charge of their favorite responsibilities. It is a real sample of too many chefs in the kitchen.
• The plan proceeded wrong because there were too many chefs in the kitchen and no one agreed on anything.
• We need just one leader on this project. Apparently, there are too many chefs in the kitchen.
• We need to change the members of the group. Because they didn’t go ahead according to program. Too many chefs in the kitchen have conflicting instructions.

Three is a crowd

If more than two people take the responsibility of a job it will be hard to reach the target.

• Although I could help them to fix the dinner for the party, I didn’t do that because two friends of mine were doing so. I didn’t want to make the kitchen crowd. You know three is a crowd.
• The team needed two coaches for this tournament not more a technical and a bodybuilding, three was a crowd.
• We need just two good players for our team instead of bunch of medium players. As you know Three is a crowd.
• Every company need one or two managers to reach is goal if that. It has been proved to us that three is a crowd.

Too many captains not enough sailors

• I thing this ship won’t get to its main destination because too many captains, not enough sailors.
• At the government committee, every minister brought up their own idea about one topic. Too many captains, not enough sailors.
• We must have more soldier rather than commander. Too many captains, not enough sailors.
• The group will be misled if you give different plans from different advisor. Too many captains, not enough sailors.

Related idioms

Less is more

Being simple and avoid complexity is better and more effective.

• He made his lecture was short but effective. A perfect example of less is more.
• I think clean lines and minimal colors make your design more beautiful. Less is more.
• He tried to influence the audiences with fancy words. Sometimes less is more in speech.
• I used many kinds of material to build my project, but now I realize that less is more for better quality.

Keep it simple

It means to keep one’s explanation as simple as possible.

• When you want to teach math to kids, you had better keep it simple during you teaching.
• The design should be plain. The more you keep it simple, the more user-friendly it would be.
• He always wants to make things more complicated; I told him to keep it simple this time.
• Keep it simple and write things directly, if you want to write your CV.