A lesson to all ...
Start with a cage containing five monkeys. Inside the
cage, hang a banana on a string and place a set of
stairs under it. Before long, a monkey will go to the
stairs and start to climb towards the banana.
As soon as he touches the stairs, spray all of the
other monkeys with cold water. After a while, another
monkey makes an attempt with the same result - all the
other monkeys are sprayed with cold water. Pretty
soon, when another monkey tries to climb the stairs,
the other monkeys will try to prevent it.
Now, put away the cold water. Remove one monkey from
the cage and replace it with a new one. The new monkey
sees the banana and wants to climb the stairs. To his
surprise and horror, all of the other monkeys attack
him. After another attempt and attack, he knows that
if he tries to climb the stairs, he will be assaulted.
Next, remove another of the original five monkeys and
replace it with a new one. The newcomer goes to the
stairs and is attacked. The previous newcomer takes
part in the punishment with enthusiasm!
Likewise, replace a third original monkey with a new
one, then a fourth, and then the fifth. Every time the
newest monkey takes to the stairs, he is attacked.
Most of the monkeys that are beating him have no idea
why they were not permitted to climb the stairs or why
they are participating in the beating of the newest
monkey.
After replacing all the original monkeys, none of the
remaining monkeys have ever been sprayed with cold
water. Nevertheless, no monkey ever again approaches
the stairs to try for the banana. Why not? Because as
far as they know that's the way it's always been done
around here.
And that is how company policy begins. |
