Comments on: The Cranky Middle Manager Show #124 Gorillas in the Corporate Culture Linda Ford http://cmm.thepodcastnetwork.com/2007/12/20/the-cranky-middle-manager-show-123-gorillas-in-the-corporate-culture-linda-ford/ Don\'t let the weasels get ya down... Tips for being a better manager and dealing with the insanity of the workplace Thu, 20 Nov 2008 14:58:39 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Gorillas and Office Politics: An Interview with Linda Ford http://cmm.thepodcastnetwork.com/2007/12/20/the-cranky-middle-manager-show-123-gorillas-in-the-corporate-culture-linda-ford/#comment-54144 Gorillas and Office Politics: An Interview with Linda Ford Mon, 07 Jan 2008 13:03:44 +0000 http://cmm.thepodcastnetwork.com/2007/12/20/the-cranky-middle-manager-show-123-gorillas-in-the-corporate-culture-linda-ford/#comment-54144 [...] Listen to my “Crazy Middle Manager” podcast interview with Wayne Turmel [...] [...] Listen to my “Crazy Middle Manager” podcast interview with Wayne Turmel [...]

]]> By: Bill Donaldson http://cmm.thepodcastnetwork.com/2007/12/20/the-cranky-middle-manager-show-123-gorillas-in-the-corporate-culture-linda-ford/#comment-52366 Bill Donaldson Sat, 22 Dec 2007 01:37:19 +0000 http://cmm.thepodcastnetwork.com/2007/12/20/the-cranky-middle-manager-show-123-gorillas-in-the-corporate-culture-linda-ford/#comment-52366 Do search on Google "Monkey banana experiment" and the top link is a Navy site that tells a similar story so is this an Urban legend or not? http://www.safetycenter.navy.mil/Articles/a-m/monkeys.htm Do search on Google “Monkey banana experiment” and the top link is a Navy site that tells a similar story so is this an Urban legend or not?
http://www.safetycenter.navy.mil/Articles/a-m/monkeys.htm

]]> By: Wayne http://cmm.thepodcastnetwork.com/2007/12/20/the-cranky-middle-manager-show-123-gorillas-in-the-corporate-culture-linda-ford/#comment-52249 Wayne Thu, 20 Dec 2007 19:44:48 +0000 http://cmm.thepodcastnetwork.com/2007/12/20/the-cranky-middle-manager-show-123-gorillas-in-the-corporate-culture-linda-ford/#comment-52249 Rob, thanks for the explanation. In Linda's defense she was giving us the very short version as part of another story, but this is great stuff. The image of the monkey getting beat up for just trying to get the banana is a far more apt description of what goes on at work than many of us would like to admit. Let me see if I got this right... beating someone up to save them from a fire hose.... good. Beating someone up for reasons no one can remember...probably a sign that corporate culture is strong and needs adjustment.... actually picking nits off your boss... time to talk to the nice lady in HR. Rob, thanks for the explanation. In Linda’s defense she was giving us the very short version as part of another story, but this is great stuff. The image of the monkey getting beat up for just trying to get the banana is a far more apt description of what goes on at work than many of us would like to admit. Let me see if I got this right… beating someone up to save them from a fire hose…. good. Beating someone up for reasons no one can remember…probably a sign that corporate culture is strong and needs adjustment…. actually picking nits off your boss… time to talk to the nice lady in HR.

]]> By: Rob Hooft http://cmm.thepodcastnetwork.com/2007/12/20/the-cranky-middle-manager-show-123-gorillas-in-the-corporate-culture-linda-ford/#comment-52247 Rob Hooft Thu, 20 Dec 2007 19:30:00 +0000 http://cmm.thepodcastnetwork.com/2007/12/20/the-cranky-middle-manager-show-123-gorillas-in-the-corporate-culture-linda-ford/#comment-52247 During one of my first management trainings, the monkey/banana story was brought up as well. However, the way it was brought was more convincing than the way Linda Ford brought it on the show. I am not sure whether the experiment was actually conducted, or whether it is just a nice story, Imagine a high monkey cage with a troup of monkeys. A ladder in the center goes all the way to the top. Start of the experiment. In the morning, a banana is hung at the top of the ladder. Monkeys all get excited. As soon as one is at the top of the ladder and grabs the banana, all the other monkeys are sprayed soaking wet using firehoses from outside. They really hate it. Next day. A new banana is hung. As soon as one of the monkeys lay their hand on the banana, all the others are sprayed soaking wet. This is repeated every day. The monkeys soon learn to appreciate the correlation. They learn to leave the banana and not touch it. Next stage of the experiment. One monkey out, another monkey in. The new monkey soon notices the banana, takes a run for the ladder, is grabbed by his new mates, and is beaten up. This happens a few times, and the new monkey soon learns to leave the banana up there. One by one, all the original monkeys are replaced. At some point, none of the original monkeys that have been wet is left in the cage. Still, whenever a new monkey is brought in and takes a run for the banana, he is beaten up. This is corporate culture. None of the monkeys know why they beat up the new guy that runs for the banana. "It is just the way things are done around here". During one of my first management trainings, the monkey/banana story was brought up as well. However, the way it was brought was more convincing than the way Linda Ford brought it on the show. I am not sure whether the experiment was actually conducted, or whether it is just a nice story,

Imagine a high monkey cage with a troup of monkeys. A ladder in the center goes all the way to the top.

Start of the experiment. In the morning, a banana is hung at the top of the ladder. Monkeys all get excited. As soon as one is at the top of the ladder and grabs the banana, all the other monkeys are sprayed soaking wet using firehoses from outside. They really hate it.

Next day. A new banana is hung. As soon as one of the monkeys lay their hand on the banana, all the others are sprayed soaking wet.

This is repeated every day. The monkeys soon learn to appreciate the correlation. They learn to leave the banana and not touch it.

Next stage of the experiment. One monkey out, another monkey in. The new monkey soon notices the banana, takes a run for the ladder, is grabbed by his new mates, and is beaten up. This happens a few times, and the new monkey soon learns to leave the banana up there.

One by one, all the original monkeys are replaced. At some point, none of the original monkeys that have been wet is left in the cage. Still, whenever a new monkey is brought in and takes a run for the banana, he is beaten up.

This is corporate culture. None of the monkeys know why they beat up the new guy that runs for the banana. “It is just the way things are done around here”.

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