Ignore The Monkey And Keep Your WTF List

You walk into a new job, full of ideas, ready to shake things up. 

Day one, you spot a weird rule.

Maybe it’s a stupid process. 

Maybe it’s a ritual everyone follows but no one can explain. 

So you ask, “Hey, why do we do it this way?”

And what do you hear?

Because that’s how we do things around here.

No logic. 

No reason. 

Just an invisible leash wrapped around everyone’s necks.

Years ago, in some lab (or maybe a zoo, or maybe just a story that should be true), scientists put five monkeys in a cage. 

In the middle, they placed a ladder. 

At the top, a bunch of bananas.

You can guess what happened.

Monkey sees banana. 

Monkey climbs ladder.

But right before he reaches the top, the scientists blast all five monkeys with ice-cold water.

The monkeys scream. 

They scatter. 

They shake off the cold. 

But hunger is hunger.

Another monkey tries. 

WHOOSH. 

More water. 

More chaos. 

More misery.

Again and again, they try. 

Again and again, they get sprayed.

Then something shifts.

A monkey moves toward the ladder, but before he can touch it—before the scientists even lift the hose—the other monkeys grab him and yank him down. 

They’ve learned the rule. 

Now, they make sure no one breaks it.

And then?

One by one, the scientists start swapping out the monkeys. 

New monkey enters. 

New monkey sees bananas. 

New monkey starts climbing.

WHAM. 

The others tackle him to the ground.

One by one, the old monkeys leave. 

One by one, new ones take their place.

Until finally, the cage is full of monkeys who have never been sprayed with water. 

They don’t know about the hose. 

They don’t know why the ladder is off-limits.

All they know is that climbing is forbidden.

Because that’s how we do things around here.

And that’s where you come in.

When you’re new, you see things others don’t. 

You notice the gaps. 

You haven’t been slow-cooked yet, like the proverbial frog who gets so used to the heat that he never jumps out.

That’s why you need a WTF list.

WTF is a “WTF list?”

Well, it’s simple.

Watch, listen and write down anything that makes you go WTF. 

You know, anything that makes you angry, anything that makes you wonder, anything that doesn’t add up.

Then ask others about it.

Not to be a pain. 

Not to prove a point. 

But to learn. 

To question. 

To find out if the rule makes sense—or if it’s just another monkey cage.

Because if you don’t question it now, you won’t question it later.

You’ll get used to it.

You’ll become one of them.

And when the next new hire asks, Why do we do it this way?, you’ll shrug and say, “Because that’s how we do things around here.”

Your WTF list isn’t just a way to vent, it’s a tool for change.

Most companies don’t need more experience, they need fresh perspective. 

They need someone who looks at a process and asks, "Why do three forms ask for the same damn thing?” or “Why does this tool take six steps instead of two?”

Even the best leaders suffer from operational blindness. 

That’s why great teams listen to their rookies.

If you’re the rookie, here’s your job:

Step one, keep your WTF list private for two weeks. 

Watch and listen without suggesting improvements. 

Don’t be the person who blurts out, “Wow, everything sucks.”

Step two, evaluate the list and cross off the noise.

If there’s a good reason, let it go. 

If they’re already fixing it, drop it. 

If it’s not a priority, move on.

Step three, start asking smart questions.

Be curious and patient and group your insights. 

Is this something no one noticed?

Something they got used to?

Something they tried to fix—and made worse?

Step four, if it’s an easy fix, don’t just say “this is stupid.” 

Fix the damn thing.

The feeling that you want to create is, "Oh, things got better the second you joined.”

Step five, now you’re ready for the hard stuff.

The problems everyone sees but no one wants to touch.

Ask the right people before assuming it’s broken.

Maybe there’s history you don’t see.

Step six, bring it to the manager.

Say: “Now that I've been here a few weeks, here’s what I see. We’re fixing some things, but some seem to need a bigger push. I wanted to get your thoughts before I try to do anything about them. What am I missing? Where should I focus?”

The reaction you want?

“Finally, someone said it.”

“Yeah, that’s been bugging me too.”

“You just put words to something I’ve been feeling for months.”

Now you’re in the real game.

Finally, step seven—get a reputation for solving problems.

The right problems.

The ones that matter.

You want to come across as someone who gets shit done and doesn’t whine.

Remember, teams have endless problems and you won’t solve all of them.

So don’t fix things in the order you see them.

Fix things in the order that matters.

Your WTF list stops you from jumping on every problem like a madman shouting “I’m gonna fix it now, damn it!” 

It helps you prioritise what actually needs to be fixed.

That’s how you make an impact.

That’s how you get a killer referral that opens doors.

Now, let’s be brutally honest.

People will try to pull you down.

Not because they hate you. 

Not because they want to stay stuck. 

But because change is uncomfortable.

They’ve been slow-cooked in this environment.

They’ve made peace with the rules. 

And maybe, just maybe, they don’t want to admit that the ladder was climbable all along.

So what do you do?

You ignore the monkey.

You climb anyway.

And if they pull you down?

You get back up. 

You keep climbing.

And when the next new hire asks, “Hey, why do we do it this way?”—you don’t beat them down.

You say, “I don’t know. Let’s find out.”

PS. Do you struggle to set yourself apart from your competitors? Does your tone of voice lack a little personality? Either way, get in touch and I’ll help you become remarkable. Or get more communication advice that doesn't suck here.