Once in a while, it happens when I come across a situation where people do things without truly understanding why they do what they do. To lighten the mood after a series of ‘Spanish inquisition’ why questions, I like to tell this anecdote.
5 monkeys are placed in a cage with a ladder, with a tempting bunch of bananas at its top.
Every time a monkey attempts to climb the ladder, the experimenter sprays the entire cage with icy water.
To avoid the cold shock, the monkeys quickly learn to pull down any monkey that dares to climb.
Then, one by one, each original monkey is replaced with a newcomer.
The new monkey, unaware of the rule and the icy water, instinctively tries to climb for the bananas.
After suffering a beating from his peers, the new monkey learns not to climb—even though he’s never been sprayed.
Gradually, all the original monkeys are replaced, yet the behavior remains unchanged.
This story mirrors how organizational cultures can operate:
- Practices and policies continue simply because “that’s how it’s always been done.”
- People follow outdated rules without questioning their relevance or purpose.
