Company Policy

Japanese Macaque

Finally!  An explanation. 

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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  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 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.