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Does this remind you of Military Training (asking for a friend) wink wink?
An experimenter puts 5 monkeys in a large cage. High up at the top of the cage, well beyond the reach of the monkeys, is a bunch of bananas. Underneath the bananas is a ladder.
The monkeys immediately spot the bananas and one begins to climb the ladder. As he does, however, the experimenter sprays him with a stream of cold water. Then, he proceeds to spray each of the other monkeys.
The monkey on the ladder scrambles off. And all 5 sit for a time on the floor, wet, cold, and bewildered. Soon, though, the temptation of the bananas is too great, and another monkey begins to climb the ladder. Again, the experimenter sprays the ambitious monkey with cold water and all the other monkeys as well. When a third monkey tries to climb the ladder, the other monkeys, wanting to avoid the cold spray, pull him off the ladder and beat him.
Now one monkey is removed and a new monkey is introduced to the cage. Spotting the bananas, he naively begins to climb the ladder. The other monkeys pull him off and beat him.
Here’s where it gets interesting. The experimenter removes a second one of the original monkeys from the cage and replaces him with a new monkey. Again, the new monkey begins to climb the ladder and, again, the other monkeys pull him off and beat him - including the monkey who had never been sprayed.
By the end of the experiment, none of the original monkeys were left and yet, despite none of them ever experiencing the cold, wet, spray, they had all learned never to try and go for the bananas.
The metaphor and the lessons that apply to work are clear. Despite the exhortations from higher brass to be innovative and collaborative, cold water is poured on people and their ideas whenever someone tries something new. Or, perhaps worse, the other soldiers suppress innovation, and learned helplessness spreads throughout the rank and file.
An experimenter puts 5 monkeys in a large cage. High up at the top of the cage, well beyond the reach of the monkeys, is a bunch of bananas. Underneath the bananas is a ladder.
The monkeys immediately spot the bananas and one begins to climb the ladder. As he does, however, the experimenter sprays him with a stream of cold water. Then, he proceeds to spray each of the other monkeys.
The monkey on the ladder scrambles off. And all 5 sit for a time on the floor, wet, cold, and bewildered. Soon, though, the temptation of the bananas is too great, and another monkey begins to climb the ladder. Again, the experimenter sprays the ambitious monkey with cold water and all the other monkeys as well. When a third monkey tries to climb the ladder, the other monkeys, wanting to avoid the cold spray, pull him off the ladder and beat him.
Now one monkey is removed and a new monkey is introduced to the cage. Spotting the bananas, he naively begins to climb the ladder. The other monkeys pull him off and beat him.
Here’s where it gets interesting. The experimenter removes a second one of the original monkeys from the cage and replaces him with a new monkey. Again, the new monkey begins to climb the ladder and, again, the other monkeys pull him off and beat him - including the monkey who had never been sprayed.
By the end of the experiment, none of the original monkeys were left and yet, despite none of them ever experiencing the cold, wet, spray, they had all learned never to try and go for the bananas.
The metaphor and the lessons that apply to work are clear. Despite the exhortations from higher brass to be innovative and collaborative, cold water is poured on people and their ideas whenever someone tries something new. Or, perhaps worse, the other soldiers suppress innovation, and learned helplessness spreads throughout the rank and file.
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 13
Posted >1 y ago
lol so true.
I just finished my NCO Distance learning, there is a small section on "group think" we are at least aware of the monkey now. Maybe in time we will shield the monkey on the ladder, after all, we are gonna get sprayed anyway, may as well get a bannana for it.
I just finished my NCO Distance learning, there is a small section on "group think" we are at least aware of the monkey now. Maybe in time we will shield the monkey on the ladder, after all, we are gonna get sprayed anyway, may as well get a bannana for it.
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Posted >1 y ago
So true. This metaphor applies to so much more than just basic training. It's a good reminder to always reassess rather than only group-think. Sometimes times change allowing for different circumstances; sometimes you have to change your circumstances; sometimes you endure the "cold water", work together, and get the frickin' bananas in spite of some short-term suffering. SOCOM monkeys probably would have waited for the right time and ambushed the water-sprayer and taught them a lesson before using the ladder and taking the bananas as a team.
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