Tribal Knowledge

Start with a cage containing five apes.

 In the cage, hang a banana on a string and put stairs under it. Before long, an ape will go to the stairs and start to climb towards the banana. As soon as he touches the stairs, spray all of the apes with cold water. After a while, another ape will make another attempt with the same results. All the apes are sprayed with cold water.

 Continue this process until there are no further attempts to get to the banana. At this point you will no longer need any cold water.

 If an ape attempts to climb the stairs, the other apes will prevent it even though there is no cold water sprayed at them.

 Now, remove one ape from the cage and replace it with another ape. The new ape sees the banana and starts to climb the stairs. To his horror, all of the other apes attack him. After another attempt and another attack he knows that if he tries to climb the stairs, he will be assaulted.

 Next, remove another of the original five apes and replace it with a new one. The newcomer goes to the stairs and is attacked. The previous newcomer now takes part in the punishment with enthusiasm.

Replace a third original ape with a new one. The new one approaches the stairs in quest of the banana and is attacked as well. Two of the four apes that beat him have no idea why they were not permitted to climb the stairs, or why they are participating in the beating of the newest ape.

After replacing the fourth and fifth original apes, all the apes, that had been sprayed with cold water, have been replaced. All the apes have been beaten. Not a single ape knows why. No ape ever again approaches the stairs to reach for a banana. 

Why --  Because that is the way it’s always been around here.

A consultant I had the pleasure of working with made a great living by asking one question.

Why are you doing this that way?

He followed that up with,

And why is that?

The information he gathered using variations of these two questions was nothing short of amazing. Improvements in process and production that resulted were even more so. So much of what gets done on the factory floor or executive suite is directed by Tribal Knowledge -- That is the way we have always done it.

Take a look at your daily routine in your business and start asking yourself why am I doing this this way? Do I need to do this? Is there a better way? Apply these same questions to the operation of your office and manufacturing. This applies to the meetings you run and attend. Journal your questions, responses and changes for the next thirty days.

How different does your day 31 look compared to day 1?

Please post your results here. We are looking forward to how the Wrath of Apes -- Tribal Knowledge changed your business and life. Please post your results here.

I do want to credit and thank Joe Glowacki for his coaching and ideas. Joe is and was ahead of his time.