Don’t Be a Monkey!

Business professor Gary Hames and C. K. Prahalad wrote about an experiment conducted with a group of monkeys. It’s a vivid story of failure.

Four monkeys were placed in a room that had a tall pole in the center. Suspended from the top of the pole was a bunch of bananas. One of the hungry monkeys started climbing the pole to get something to eat, but just as he reached out to grab a banana, he was doused with a torrent of cold water. Squealing, he scampered down the pole and abandoned his attempt to feed himself. Each monkey made several attempts, they finally gave up.

Then the researchers removed one of the monkeys from the room and replaced him with a new monkey. As the newcomer began to climb the pole, the other three grabbed him and pulled him down to the ground. After trying to climb the pole several times and being dragged down by the others, he finally gave up and never attempted to climb the pole again.

The researchers replaced the original monkeys one by one, and each time a new monkey was brought in, he would be dragged down by the others before he could reach the bananas. In time, the room was filled with monkeys who had never received a cold shower. But none of them would climb the pole, and none knew why!!!!!

Don’t allow some else’s failures, struggles, and negativity to make a monkey out of you!