Is that your monkey?

  • Published
  • By Maj. Dorinda Mazza
  • 71st Comptroller Squadron commander
VANCE AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  My day-to-day activities are not considered monkey business -- or are they?

Two memorable pieces of advice I've received -- don't let others put their monkey on your back and don't be a wet monkey.

Take a look around your organization. If you are in a thriving organization, what makes your organization flourish? If you are in a deteriorating organization, what makes your organization flop?

I would venture to guess all of our answers would be different. But if I had to narrow it down, I believe the top two answers would be training and well defined processes, or the lack of either.

Building a thriving organization starts with not letting other people put their monkey on your back. If it's their monkey, it's their responsibility to care for and feed it.

Besides, you probably already have your own monkeys to take care of. If you take on too many monkeys, you wouldn't be able to handle your own.

You should be asking, "Why are they trying to put their monkey on my back?"

They may lack training. Our goal is to develop initiative, a sense of ownership and ultimately train others how to care and feed their own monkey.

Train them to carry out their own responsibilities and solve their own problems. That not only involves technical training, but also includes coaching people to success.

Training is important and is part of developing people to take responsibility for their own monkeys. Lack of training can be catastrophic to an organization. Training has to be at the right time at the right level.

So if someone tries to put their monkey on your back, help them get the right training to care for and feed their own monkey.

Being a wet monkey can also break an organization. There is a story about wet monkeys that demonstrates the validity, or lack of validity, to the common statement "That's the way we've always done it."

A cage has five monkeys, a banana hanging from the roof and a ladder under the banana. It doesn't take long for a monkey to go to the ladder and start climbing to the banana. As soon as he touches the ladder, all the other monkeys are sprayed with cold water.

After a while another monkey attempts to get the banana with same result, all the other monkeys are sprayed with cold water. When another monkey tries to climb the ladder, the other monkeys now prevent it.

The cold water is put away and one monkey from the cage is removed and replaced by a new monkey. The new monkey sees the banana and wants to climb the ladder. To his surprise, all of the other monkeys attack him. After another attempt and attack, he knows that if he tries to climb the ladder he will be assaulted.

Next, another of the original five monkeys is removed and replaced with a new one. The new monkey goes to the ladder and is attacked. The previous newcomer takes part in the punishment with enthusiasm.

This continues as the third original monkey is replaced with a new one, then the fourth, then the fifth. Every time the newest monkey takes to the ladder he is attacked. Most of the monkeys that are beating him have no idea why they were not allowed to climb the ladder or why they are participating in the beating of the newest monkey.

After replacing all of the original monkeys, none of the remaining monkeys have ever been sprayed with cold water. Yet, no monkey approaches the ladder to try for the banana. Why not? Because as far as they know that is the way it has always been done.

How many times have you walked into a new organization and asked, "Why do we do this?" The response is, "That's the way we've always done it."

Quite honestly, if not bound by law or regulation, that is the wrong answer. Look at your processes and ask yourself, why? If the process doesn't make sense, then change it. In this fiscally constrained environment, find more effective and efficient ways to accomplish your tasks.

In closing, document, document, document. Take notes during training session you receive and document the processes that govern your day-to-day activities.

After all, this is monkey business. Don't let other people put their monkey on your back and don't be a wet monkey.