Canoe race
12-09-2008 | 06:24 PM
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Canoe race
A MODERN PARABLE
A Japanese company (Toyota) and an
American company (Ford) 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 8 people steering and 1 person
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 the 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, 3 area steering superintendents, and 1
assistant superintendent steering manager.
They also implemented a new performance system that would give the 1
person 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 rower. There was discussion of getting new paddles, canoes, and other
equipment, extra vacation days for practices and bonuses.
The next year the Japanese won by two miles.
Humiliated,
the American management laid off the rower for poor performance, halted
development of a new canoe, sold the paddles, and canceled all capital
investments for new equipment. The money saved was distributed to the
Senior Executives as bonuses and the next year's racing team was out-sourced to
India.
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.
IF THIS WEREN'T TRUE, IT MIGHT BE FUNNY!
A Japanese company (Toyota) and an
American company (Ford) 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 8 people steering and 1 person
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 the 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, 3 area steering superintendents, and 1
assistant superintendent steering manager.
They also implemented a new performance system that would give the 1
person 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 rower. There was discussion of getting new paddles, canoes, and other
equipment, extra vacation days for practices and bonuses.
The next year the Japanese won by two miles.
Humiliated,
the American management laid off the rower for poor performance, halted
development of a new canoe, sold the paddles, and canceled all capital
investments for new equipment. The money saved was distributed to the
Senior Executives as bonuses and the next year's racing team was out-sourced to
India.
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.
IF THIS WEREN'T TRUE, IT MIGHT BE FUNNY!
