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....
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