The Mysteries of Management...

Start with a cage containing five monkeys. Inside the cage, hang a banana on a string and place a set of stairs under it. Before long, a monkey will go to the stairs and start to climb towards the banana. As soon as he touches the stairs, spray all of the other monkeys with cold water.

After a while, another monkey makes an attempt with the same result all the other monkeys are sprayed with cold water. Pretty soon, when another monkey tries to climb the stairs, the other monkeys will try to prevent it.

Now, put away the cold water. Remove one monkey from the cage and replace it with a new one. The new monkey sees the banana and wants to climb the stairs. To his surprise and horror, all of the other monkeys attack him. After another attempt and attack, he knows that if he tries to climb the stairs, he will be assaulted.

Next, remove another of the original five monkeys and replace it with a new one. The newcomer goes to the stairs and is attacked. The previous newcomer takes part in the punishment with enthusiasm! Likewise, replace a third original monkey with a new one, then a fourth, then the fifth. Every time the newest monkey takes to the stairs, he is attacked.

Most of the monkeys that are beating him have no idea why they were not permitted to climb the stairs or why they are participating in the beating of the newest monkey.

After replacing all the original monkeys, none of the remaining monkeys have ever been sprayed with cold water. Nevertheless, no monkey ever again approaches the stairs to try for the banana. Why not? Because as far as they know that's the way it's always been done around here.

And that, my friends, is how a company policy too often begins.

Tolerate or accept?

Big ballot issue here in Maine today.

Question one asks voters if they want to reject Maine's same-sex marriage law, allowing individuals and religious groups to refuse to perform these marriages.

I had a very interesting conversation I just had at the voting booth. As I was leaving, I was exit polled about Question 1. I got the sense that the poller wasn’t exactly an independent body if you know what I mean. They asked me point blank how I voted on 1. I proudly said that I voted NO. The reaction I got was one of questioning I guess. The poller then said..” so what you’re saying is that you can tolerate Gays. I was quite taken aback and offended by the question but I chose not to react. Instead, I calmly and sincerely said. “I’m so very sorry that you see the world and others in it through a filter of tolerance.” The poller was left speechless I must say!

After driving back to work, the first thing that came to mind was my children. I don’t want them to tolerate a person’s beliefs, morals, preferences, opinions, societal views, political leanings, etc. I want them to accept them as the wondrousness of our world. I don’t expect them to always agree but I will not accept them simply tolerating. Our differences are what should bring us together not divide us. Our uniqueness should build our bridges not widen the gulfs. The world is too beautiful for all that.

Have a great day