A Modern Parable
>
> 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
> 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, 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
> channeled 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
> canceled 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, and collecting
> bonuses...
>
> IF THIS WEREN'T SO TRUE IT MIGHT BE FUNNY.