The Monkey Principle

This is a principle or theory, if you will, that explains how a leader deals with problems:

People in leadership positions are confronted daily with the fact that people under them, people in supervisory positions over them, their customers, the law enforcement community, any and all other interested parties to their line of work will come to them with a monkey. Some in fact come with more than one monkey. Their objective: They will be trying to give you the monkey(s).

Sometimes you will take the monkey and pass it on to someone else. Sometimes you will take the monkey. Sometimes you will give the monkey back.

Lets examine what happens as a result of each of the three scenarios.

You pass the monkey to someone else. First, the person that brought the monkey is happy (they now have no monkey). Secondly, you are happy (or maybe not, depending on how person receiving monkey acts) to no longer have the monkey. Lastly, the person with the monkey is probably not happy.

You take the monkey. This is worst case scenario...being left with the monkey makes more work and often becomes complicated as you try to cage the monkey.

The third option: giving the monkey back is preferable. However, if some one that is a supervisor over you brings you a monkey oft times you are stuck with that monkey. Unless you can hand it over to someone else.

You seem to get many more monkeys (disproportionally) from persons over whom you have supervisory position. The reason being is that these people have probably created the monkey.

Words of Wisdom?
Do not take Monkeys.
A Barrel of Monkeys is NOT FUN.
Peace Out!