The Way It Has Always Been Done

Have you ever stopped to consider why your place of work runs the way it runs? Have you ever taken a question to management only to hear the classic rebuttal "because that's the way we've always done it"? Have you ever been beaten by four monkeys for wanting a banana as a snack?

If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, you'll want to keep reading. If not, continue to look out for those monkeys; it's really only a matter of time before they get to you.

Five Monkeys – the following excerpt is taken from "Progress in Primatology" by D. Starek, R. Schneider, and H. Kuhn:

"They started with a cage containing five monkeys. Inside the cage, they hung a banana on a string with a set of stairs placed under it. Before long, a monkey went to the stairs and started to climb towards the banana. As soon as he started up the stairs, the psychologists sprayed all of the other monkeys with ice cold water. After a while, another monkey made an attempt to obtain the banana. As soon as his foot touched the stairs, all of the other monkeys were sprayed with ice cold water. It's wasn't long before all of the other monkeys would physically prevent any monkey from climbing the stairs.

Now, the psychologists shut off the cold water, removed one monkey from the cage and replaced it with a new one. The new monkey saw the banana and started to climb the stairs. To his surprise and horror, all of the other monkeys attacked him. After another attempt and attack, he discovered that if he tried to climb the stairs, he would be assaulted.

Next they removed another of the original five monkeys and replaced it with a new one. The newcomer went to the stairs and was attacked. The previous newcomer took part in the punishment with enthusiasm! Likewise, they replaced a third original monkey with a new one, then a fourth, then the fifth. Every time the newest monkey tried to climb the stairs, he was attacked.

The monkeys had no idea why they were not permitted to climb the stairs or why they were beating any monkey that tried. After replacing all the original monkeys, none of the remaining monkeys had ever been sprayed with cold water. Nevertheless, no monkey ever again approached the stairs to try for the banana. Why not? Because as far as they know that's the way it's always been around here."

The takeaway is to be willing to question the logic behind the methods others may take as granted. For example, when we advise airport clients, it can be a daunting challenge for us to overcome years of practice ingrained by repetition; certain airports/personnel are victims of their own momentum. Regardless of right or wrong, it's more convenient for the group not to change, and one reason why a talented team can be ineffective and inefficient.

You have to maintain your airfield markings in the future regardless of how you've done it in the past, so why not do it the best way with our help? Some of our greatest success stories have also been our toughest challenges. Sightline is the banana... it's up to you to challenge the way it has always been done, and start doing it the way it should be done.

Back to Webletter