A Modern Parable

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.
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flamestar
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