*The Story of the 8 Monkeys*

(This is based on an actual experiment conducted in the UK) :

Put eight monkeys in a room. In the middle of the room is a ladder, leading
to a bunch of bananas hanging from a hook on the ceiling.

Each time a monkey tries to climb the ladder, all the monkeys are sprayed
with ice water, which makes them miserable. Soon enough, whenever a monkey
attempts to climb the ladder, all of the other monkeys, not wanting to be
sprayed, set upon him and beat him up.

Soon, none of the eight monkeys ever attempts to climb the ladder.

Then one of the original monkeys is then removed, and a new monkey is put in the
room. Seeing the bananas and the ladder, he wonders why none of the other
monkeys are doing the obvious. But undaunted, he immediately begins to climb
the ladder.

All the other monkeys fall upon him and beat him silly. He has no idea why.
however, he no longer attempts to climb the ladder.

A second original monkey is removed and replaced. The newcomer again
attempts to climb the ladder, but all the other monkeys hammer the crap out
of him.

This includes the previous new monkey, who, grateful that he's not on the
receiving end this time, participates in the beating because all the other
monkeys are doing it. However, he has no idea why he's attacking the new
monkey.

One by one, all the original monkeys are replaced. Eight new monkeys are now
in the room. None of them have ever been sprayed by ice water.

None of them attempt to climb the ladder. All of them will enthusiastically
beat up any new monkey who tries, without having any idea why.

*..................and that is how most companies' policies get established.*

Sometimes, it feels like this at the workplace. Employees just do certain
procedures because others are doing the same....without knowing why they do
them and whether what they have been doing all along can be improved or
changed. They say its the policy. At times, it feels it's just the
standard practices that have been passed down from employee to employee.
Nothing else.