Science Forums 2

[rockytriton]

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 beating 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.