Snoman
06-01-2007, 08:05 AM
A Japanese company (Toyota) and an American company (General 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. An investigating 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.
(sad, but so true!)
Here's something else:
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.
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. An investigating 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.
(sad, but so true!)
Here's something else:
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.