[salty]

This is from an e-mail someone sent me. Probably some truth in it.

-Ford & Toyota


> 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.