Do we THINK anymore?
In today's world of high dependency on IT, where things move fast and everyone expects a quick response, I wonder if the younger generation (and perhaps even the older one) takes time out to think before they react to a situation. We come out with processes which everyone is supposed to follow and some follow without understanding why. So much so that I sometimes get asked how we should be reacting to a situation. Instead of providing an outright answer, I would explain the basis behind some of the processes and why some of them are done a certain way. After all the explanations, instead of going away to decide what would be the appropriate response, I get asked again, "so what is the way to handle this?"
Why are we becoming like this? Perhaps it's because of what we do now in our past time... video games. Video games are very absorbing. It holds your attention for the longest time. Part of the reason, I think, is because they give you instant responses. For every action that you take, the game will give you an instant reponse which will require another action from you. You don't have to wait. You don't have to think. You just need to remember what or how to respond, fast.
This mindset is translated into business. We have processes and guidelines where many will follow without understanding the implications and the linkages with other part of the business. The ability to think is either being taken away or not present. Sometimes, it can also be "no time to think". We have to know why certain processes are there so that we can use our minds to decide how to act accordingly. Which reminds me of this story, though humorous, is apt description of what can happen if we don't think.
You put 6 monkeys in a cage and in the middle of the cage, you put a ladder which will lead to a tray of food. Everytime one monkey climbs up the ladder to get to the food, you spray water on the other 5 monkeys. Soon, none of the monkeys will climb up the ladder to get at the food anymore.
Now, you take one of the monkeys out and replace with a new monkey. This monkey, being new, will climb up the ladder to get at the food. The other 5 monkeys will pull the monkey down and beat it as they do not want to get wet. The new monkey soon learn not to climb the ladder.
You then take another of the old monkeys out and replace with a new monkey. This new monkey will soon climb up the ladder to get at the food. The other 4 old monkeys will pull this 2nd new monkey down and beat it. The 1st new monkey, seeing what the others are doing, will join in and hit the latest monkey.
You then replace all the remaining monkeys one by one until the cage now have 6 new monkeys who have never been sprayed by water before. None of them will climb up the ladder to get at the food and they don't know the reason why.
I certainly hope none of us will end up that way.
Why are we becoming like this? Perhaps it's because of what we do now in our past time... video games. Video games are very absorbing. It holds your attention for the longest time. Part of the reason, I think, is because they give you instant responses. For every action that you take, the game will give you an instant reponse which will require another action from you. You don't have to wait. You don't have to think. You just need to remember what or how to respond, fast.
This mindset is translated into business. We have processes and guidelines where many will follow without understanding the implications and the linkages with other part of the business. The ability to think is either being taken away or not present. Sometimes, it can also be "no time to think". We have to know why certain processes are there so that we can use our minds to decide how to act accordingly. Which reminds me of this story, though humorous, is apt description of what can happen if we don't think.
You put 6 monkeys in a cage and in the middle of the cage, you put a ladder which will lead to a tray of food. Everytime one monkey climbs up the ladder to get to the food, you spray water on the other 5 monkeys. Soon, none of the monkeys will climb up the ladder to get at the food anymore.
Now, you take one of the monkeys out and replace with a new monkey. This monkey, being new, will climb up the ladder to get at the food. The other 5 monkeys will pull the monkey down and beat it as they do not want to get wet. The new monkey soon learn not to climb the ladder.
You then take another of the old monkeys out and replace with a new monkey. This new monkey will soon climb up the ladder to get at the food. The other 4 old monkeys will pull this 2nd new monkey down and beat it. The 1st new monkey, seeing what the others are doing, will join in and hit the latest monkey.
You then replace all the remaining monkeys one by one until the cage now have 6 new monkeys who have never been sprayed by water before. None of them will climb up the ladder to get at the food and they don't know the reason why.
I certainly hope none of us will end up that way.
posted by Guy in the glass at 2:36 PM
5 Comments:
sadly, that's the mentality in a lot of companies nowadays...what to do?
I do pity the new monkeys too. In this fast pace and highly pressurised society now, there is no more continuity: People move in and out of jobs quickly; training and hand-holding is a thing of the past; new monkey is thrown into the water and has to learn to float, survive and find food.
sad but true.
just hope that i am not one of the old monkey...though i am not young anymore.
The point is, we are not monkeys. If we allow ourselves to be treated as one, then we have only ourselves to blame.
Nice post! Surely we need to re-train the monkeys that are running havoc in our Parliament, no?
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