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, 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 a company policy begins
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