Company Policy
Posted: Mon Feb 21, 2005 10:27 pm
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, one of the monkeys will go to the stairs and start to
climb towards the banana. As soon as he touches the stairs, all of the
monkeys are sprayed with cold water.
After a while, another monkey makes an attempt with the same result
-all the monkeys are sprayed with cold water.
Pretty soon, none of the monkeys will try to climb the stairs.
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 i s attacked. The
previous newcomer takes part in the punishment with enthusiasm!
Likewise, replace a third original monkey with a new one, then a
fourth, 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, my friends, is how company policy begins.
banana on a string and place a set of stairs under it.
Before long, one of the monkeys will go to the stairs and start to
climb towards the banana. As soon as he touches the stairs, all of the
monkeys are sprayed with cold water.
After a while, another monkey makes an attempt with the same result
-all the monkeys are sprayed with cold water.
Pretty soon, none of the monkeys will try to climb the stairs.
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 i s attacked. The
previous newcomer takes part in the punishment with enthusiasm!
Likewise, replace a third original monkey with a new one, then a
fourth, 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, my friends, is how company policy begins.