How Company Policy is Created
Start with a cage containing five monkeys. In the cage, hang a banana on a
string and put 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
monkeys 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, when another monkey tries to climb the stairs, the other monkeys will try to
prevent it. Now, turn off 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 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. Again, replace a third original monkey with a new one. The new
one makes it to the stairs and is attacked as well. Two of the four monkeys that beat 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 the fourth and fifth original monkeys, all the monkeys which have been
sprayed with cold water have been replaced. Nevertheless, no monkey ever again
approaches the stairs.
Why not?
Because that's the way it's always been around here.
And that's how company policy begins....
Thanks to John Smolinski!
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