A Scientific Experiment that Demonstrates Corporate
Attitudinal Development.
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 dear friends, is how company policy begins.
2:51pm (GMT +11.00) tomorrow from Work, Chiswick
