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  • From: "Jeanne Driese" <jeanne13 AT earthlink.net>
  • To: <homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [Homestead] Thought this list would appreciate this!
  • Date: Wed, 10 Dec 2008 06:36:20 -0500

Sent to me by a friend...the answer is so obvious, but yet we as a country
just can't seem to "get it"
Maybe I should send it to our politicions?? Unfortunatley I don't think they
would get it. :(((
Jeanne
tnhillwoman
North East TN zone 6
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.

IF THIS WEREN'T SO TRUE IT MIGHT BE FUNNY






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