Exercise... Breaking Habits (Consider this...)

In a research study 5 monkeys were placed in a cage. In the cage was a ladder leading up to bunch of ripe bananas. One monkey went for the bananas, only to be automatically sprayed with cold water when he climbed the ladder! The monkey abandoned the attempt. Another monkey tries, but it too was sprayed with water (and another, and another). They all gave up.

The researchers then turned off the spray and removed one monkey and replaced it with a new one. It immediately went for the bananas, only to be stopped by the other monkeys. Over time all the monkeys were individually replaced. Every time a new monkey came it was prevented from reaching the bananas by the other monkeys. None of these monkeys had ever been sprayed with cold water yet none of them would approach the bananas. This was the way it had always been.

How did your workplace policies and procedures begin? Who says it should be this way? Would it be useful to do a review? Is it time for change? To change outdated patterns and habits and review your thinking requires you to be flexible, try something new and take risks sometimes.