IF THIS WEREN'T TRUE, IT MIGHT BE FUNNY.
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.
>
>