Subject:  Company Policy - Apes and corporate culture


Not sure if you have seen this, but know each of you will
appreciate the analogy!

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 thru several more attempts. Pretty soon, when
another ape tries to climb the stairs, the other apes will 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 it's always been around here...
And that's how company policy begins...