A Japanese company (Toyota) and an American company (Ford Motors) decided to
have a canoe race on the Missouri River. Both teams practiced long and hard to
reach their peak performance before the race.
On the big day, the Japanese won by a mile. The Americans, very discouraged and
depressed, decided to investigate the reason for the crushing defeat. A
management team made up of
senior management was formed to investigate and recommend appropriate action.
Their conclusion was the Japanese had 8 people rowing and 1 person steering,
while the American team had 7 people steering and 2 people rowing. Feeling a
deeper study was in order, American management hired a consulting company and
paid them a large amount of money for a second opinion.
They advised, of course, that too many people were steering
th e boat, while not enough people were rowing. Not sure of how to utilize that
information, but wanting to prevent another loss to the Japanese, the rowing
team's management structure was totally reorganized to 4 steering supervisors, 2
area steering superintendents and 1 assistant
superintendent steering manager.
They also implemented a new performance system that would
give the 2 people rowing the boat greater incentive to work harder. It was
called the 'Rowing Team Quality First Program,' with meetings, dinners and free
pens for the rowers. There was discussion of getting new paddles, canoes and
other equipment, extra vacation days for practices and bonuses. The pension
program was trimmed to 'equal the competition' and some of the resultant savings
were
channelled into morale boosting programs and teamwork posters.
The next year the Japanese won by two miles.
Humiliated, the American management laid-off one rower ,
halted development of a new canoe, sold all the paddles, and cancelled all
capital investments for new equipment. The money saved was distributed to the
Senior Executives as bonuses.
The next year, try as he might, the lone designated rower was unable to even
finish the race (having no paddles,) so he was laid off for unacceptable
performance, all canoe equipment was sold and the next year's racing team was
out-sourced to India.
Sadly, the End.
Here's something else to think about: Ford has spent the last thirty years
moving all its factories out of the US, claiming they can't make money paying
American wages.
TOYOTA has spent the last thirty years building more than a dozen plants inside
the US. The last quarter's results:
TOYOTA makes 4 billion in profits while Ford racked up 9 billion in losses.
Ford folks are still scratching their heads, while collecting their bonuses...
and now wants the Gov ernment to 'bail them out.'
IF THIS WEREN'T SO TRUE IT MIGHT EVEN BE FUNNY!!!
have a canoe race on the Missouri River. Both teams practiced long and hard to
reach their peak performance before the race.
On the big day, the Japanese won by a mile. The Americans, very discouraged and
depressed, decided to investigate the reason for the crushing defeat. A
management team made up of
senior management was formed to investigate and recommend appropriate action.
Their conclusion was the Japanese had 8 people rowing and 1 person steering,
while the American team had 7 people steering and 2 people rowing. Feeling a
deeper study was in order, American management hired a consulting company and
paid them a large amount of money for a second opinion.
They advised, of course, that too many people were steering
th e boat, while not enough people were rowing. Not sure of how to utilize that
information, but wanting to prevent another loss to the Japanese, the rowing
team's management structure was totally reorganized to 4 steering supervisors, 2
area steering superintendents and 1 assistant
superintendent steering manager.
They also implemented a new performance system that would
give the 2 people rowing the boat greater incentive to work harder. It was
called the 'Rowing Team Quality First Program,' with meetings, dinners and free
pens for the rowers. There was discussion of getting new paddles, canoes and
other equipment, extra vacation days for practices and bonuses. The pension
program was trimmed to 'equal the competition' and some of the resultant savings
were
channelled into morale boosting programs and teamwork posters.
The next year the Japanese won by two miles.
Humiliated, the American management laid-off one rower ,
halted development of a new canoe, sold all the paddles, and cancelled all
capital investments for new equipment. The money saved was distributed to the
Senior Executives as bonuses.
The next year, try as he might, the lone designated rower was unable to even
finish the race (having no paddles,) so he was laid off for unacceptable
performance, all canoe equipment was sold and the next year's racing team was
out-sourced to India.
Sadly, the End.
Here's something else to think about: Ford has spent the last thirty years
moving all its factories out of the US, claiming they can't make money paying
American wages.
TOYOTA has spent the last thirty years building more than a dozen plants inside
the US. The last quarter's results:
TOYOTA makes 4 billion in profits while Ford racked up 9 billion in losses.
Ford folks are still scratching their heads, while collecting their bonuses...
and now wants the Gov ernment to 'bail them out.'
IF THIS WEREN'T SO TRUE IT MIGHT EVEN BE FUNNY!!!
