how company policy is created

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 very
cold high-pressure 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. None of the monkeys that are beating him have any 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.

So the moral is that it's easy to make a monkey out of monkeys?

Originally posted by villa68
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 very
cold high-pressure water. After a while, another monkey makes an
attem ...[text shortened]... he way it's always been done
around here. And that, my friends, is how company policy begins.