njjen3953
4th Level Orange Feather
- Joined
- Apr 18, 2001
- Messages
- 2,858
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Five Monkeys
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, 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 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, 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.
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, 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 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, 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.
