[Mb-civic] Fw: FW: Japan vs. America

[ROBERT CLARKE]

----- Original Message -----


> Subject: This is not too far fetched
>  
>   
>  
> The Canoe Race:" A Modern Parable"- 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. 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. So American management hired a consulting company and  
> paid them a large amount of money for a second opinion.
>  
> They advised that too many people were steering the boat, while not
> enough people were rowing. 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 outsourced to India!!!!


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