Hi all, how unfortunate that the below is all so true in today's society!
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, my friends, is how company policy begins.
