Dec
1
Written by:
admin
Monday, December 1, 2008
Innovation in general practice does not come easily. You have to work at it.
Getting the 'Team' 'on board' and staying focused is akin to the Wet Monkey Syndrome. When previous methods have failed or deemed too hard, it takes perseverence to try again. It also requires explanation and encouragement to keep the team focused!
Read This.
Imagine a room with four monkeys, and a bunch of bananas suspended from the ceiling.
The only way to get the bananas is to use the step ladder.
One of the monkeys attempts to climb the step ladder, and the moment he does, the fire hoses are turned on all of them.
The second one tries, again the fire hoses...
So no other monkeys try, they have learned.
Remove one of the monkeys and replace it with one who doesn't know about the fire hoses.
He will attempt to climb the step ladder, wondering why the others havent tried to get the bananas.
But... the other monkeys stop him, for of course they know!
Replace a second monkey, the new one will attempt to get the bananas, the others will stop him, INCLUDING the monkey that doesn't know about the fire hose.
Keep going, until all the original monkeys are gone, and the new monkeys will not attempt to get the bananas, but they don't know why.
This is a classic thought experiment about behaviour, and explains what happens in organisations.
There is a resistance to change, the principal being "We've always done it this way".
Wet Monkey Syndrome.
It takes effort to alter mindsets and behaviour.