you’re right. Instead of “…a negative effect that we’ve experienced.” I should have said “…a negative effect that our organisation/team/culture has experienced.”

The negative effect was once real and felt. The effect may have gone, those who have felt it may no longer be there, but the memory and behaviour remains. The behaviour makes no sense now, but once it did.

The best cure is a healthy dose of “Why?”

I think that’s a little off. If you remember he said they would trade out monkeys for fresh ones, who had never experienced the negative effect. It’s the old “that’s the way we’ve always done it” mind set.