Joe McCoy
June 26th, 2006, 08:15 AM
>>>A Japanese company and an American company 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.
>>>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.