Comments

We, of course, welcome input from anybody who has another opinion on "Who said this first."

Posted by cathy at October 13, 2005 8:29 AM

I don't know who originated that quote but let's all chip in with our favourite monkey quotes. Mine: "Never hold discussions with the monkey when the organ grinder is in the room." - Sir Winston Churchill.

Posted by Mark JF at October 13, 2005 8:44 AM

What about a monkey being on MY back and YOUR back? Just one monkey jumping around our backs may be confused with finger-pointing. (And then there's the rally monkey, and on whose back was the monkey last night during that last inning of the Angels-Sox game? oh well...)

Posted by Gabriel Salcido at October 13, 2005 10:57 AM

Gabriel, don't get me started on the Angels-Sox game ....

Posted by tom peters at October 13, 2005 11:07 AM

Let's not forget "You scratch the monkey on my back and I'll scratch the monkey on your back."

Posted by John O'Leary at October 13, 2005 12:37 PM

The original article is perhaps `Management Time: Who's Got the Monkey?' by William Oncken Jr. and Donald Wass (HBR; Nov-Dec 1974). It's a delightful article on how any task is a monkey on someone's back. And it has to be either handed over to someone or put to bed.

Posted by Porus Munshi at October 13, 2005 1:52 PM

Porus ... brilliant! (I think I remember that's where Blanchard got it.)

Posted by tom peters at October 13, 2005 3:48 PM

I was wondering what everyone else thought about Ken Blanchard's books including: Raving Fans and Gung Ho!
Honestly, these were probably the worst two books I have read in my life and would like to know if anyone had an opinion about those books.

Posted by Louis at October 16, 2005 6:39 PM