One of my biggest pet peeves is when someone says “That’s how we’ve always done it.” This statement implies that there’s no room for improvement or change, even when there is a better way of doing things.
Years ago, I read about a human behavior experiment that G.R. Stephenson conducted in the 1960s with Rhesus Monkeys. He published his findings in an article entitled, “Cultural Acquisition of a Specific Learned Response Among Rhesus Monkeys.” Here is a summary of his experiment and findings, as included in a 2013 article called “The Five Monkeys Experiment…” on workingoutloud.com:
“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.”
Our culture is constantly changing; technology is practically obsolete after three years! Though traditions are important to remember, changes are necessary in business to help improve processes, save money and time, and foster growth. The monkey experiment taught me that to keep doing things “how they’ve always been done” keeps business stagnant and behind the times. These businesses simply exist, rather than grow.
To keep your business from simply existing, take time either quarterly or annually to ask yourself and your team:
- Are there new technologies or tools that could improve our processes and systems?
- Would changing the way we do certain tasks increase our efficiency and effectiveness?
- Is there a better way to achieve our goals?
Answers to these questions may help improve your business, increase sales, and make your corner of the world a better place!
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