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Monkeys and Company Policy (1 Viewer)

Henry Carmona

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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 place 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 company policy begins.
 

Brian Perry

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May 6, 1999
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Henry,

As a manager, I am often faced with the exact opposite phenomenon: employees who decide to ignore established policies because they think they have a better (read: easier) way of doing a certain task.

While it is true that existing procedures should always be examined for possible improvement, poeple should realize that those procedures were probably established for good reasons.
 

Kevin T

Screenwriter
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Jul 12, 2001
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i felt it was appropriate given the nature of his post and since it is...well monday.

kevin t
 

Alex-C

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Apr 18, 2000
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Consider that when a Monkey finally gets to the Bannana, that monkey gets to be the one spraying the rest of the Monkeys.

and that, my friends, is how we have managers.
 

RobertR

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Joined
Dec 19, 1998
Messages
10,675
Reminds me of a sign a colleague at work has: "Logic is Illogica1", meaning you follow policy irrespective of whether or not it makes sense.
 

Henry Carmona

Screenwriter
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Henry Carmona
Henry,
As a manager, I am often faced with the exact opposite phenomenon: employees who decide to ignore established policies because they think they have a better (read: easier) way of doing a certain task.
While it is true that existing procedures should always be examined for possible improvement, poeple should realize that those procedures were probably established for good reasons.
Well,
Also as a manager, and employee, sometimes regardless of what you try to do to improve or change existing policy, there are always those that either dont want to hear it, or care.
 

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