The philosophy behind supporting our blue neighbours

[FC Silver Fox]

If you start with a cage containing five monkeys and inside the cage, hang a banana on a string from the top and then you place a set of stairs under the banana, before long a monkey will go to the stairs and climb toward the banana.

As soon as he touches the stairs, you spray all the other monkeys with cold water.

... After a while another monkey makes an attempt with 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 the cold water away.

Remove one monkey from the cage and replace it with a new one.

The new monkey sees the banana and attempts to climb the stairs.
To his shock, all of the other monkeys beat the crap out of 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, replacing it with a new one.

The newcomer goes to the stairs and is attacked.
The previous newcomer takes part in the punishment...... with enthusiasm, because he is now part of the "team".

Then, replace a third original monkey with a new one, followed by the fourth, then the fifth.
Every time the newest monkey takes to the stairs he is attacked.

Now, the monkeys that are beating him up have no idea why they were not permitted to climb the stairs.
Neither do they know why they are participating in the beating of the newest monkey.

Finally, having replaced all of the original monkeys, none of the remaining monkeys will have ever been sprayed with cold water.
Nevertheless, not one of the monkeys will try to climb the stairway for the banana.

Why, you ask?
Because in their minds...that is the way it has always been!

This, my friends, is how Chelsea Football Club operates... and this is why, from time to time:

ALL of the monkeys need to be REPLACED AT THE SAME TIME.

[WHITEwitch]

 :wine:

A work of genius obviously discovered at the bottom of a nice Montrachet..........


Down the road, the monkeys get dunked in cold water regularly, have learned to wear raincoats and now consider this the only way to be............................

[MOR :]

Isn't this part of Harlow's classical Animal Psychology experiment?

Which is used as an analogy to explain the creation and maintenance of corporate culture, rules, regulations, and processes, that keep on living in the organisation collective action, even after the original reason for introducing them is all forgotten or becomes irrelevant.

It is the story of five monkeys, a banana, and the creation of powerful corporate culture.

So next time you work with an organisation that tells you – "sorry, we cannot do that – we have to comply with a regulation that says..." — tell them about the five monkeys and the banana.


I'll get my coat...

[FC Silver Fox]

A bit of poetic licence, MOR.  Never let fact get in the way of a good story.

[sipwell]

 :58:

I will need to sit down and read this slowly. I did not know the Blue Poo was so complicated!

[Supermitch]

:58:

I will need to sit down and read this slowly. I did not know the Blue Poo was so complicated!

Indeed - I am though sure that the average IQ of the monkeys is far higher than that of the "supporters" of that club

[MOR :]

A bit of poetic licence, MOR.  Never let fact get in the way of a good story.

A bit of poetic licence, MOR.  Never let fact get in the way of a good story.

[jarv]

Excellent.    098.gif