Start with a cage
containing five apes.
In the cage, hang a
banana on a string and put stairs under it. Before
long, an ape will go to the stairs and start to climb
towards the banana. As soon as he touches the stairs,
spray all of the apes with cold water.
After a while,
another ape makes an attempt with the same result -
all the apes are sprayed with cold water. This
continues through several more attempts. Pretty soon,
when another ape tries to climb the stairs, the other
apes all try to prevent it.
Now, turn off the
cold water. Remove one ape from the cage and replace
it with a new one. The new ape sees the banana and
wants to climb the stairs. To his horror, all of the
other apes 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 apes 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 ape
with a new one. The new one makes it to the stairs
and is attacked as well. Two of the four apes 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 ape.
After replacing the
fourth and fifth original apes, all the apes, which
have been sprayed with cold water, have been replaced.
Nevertheless, no ape ever again approaches the stairs.
Why not?
"Because that's
the way they've always done it, and that's the way
it's always been around here."
And that's how
company policies begin....
