A Japanese company ( Toyota ) and an American company (General Motors) decided to

[Vedubin01]

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 peop le row ing 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 vacat ion days for practices and bo nuses.

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 .

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.

IF THIS WEREN'T SO TRUE IT MIGHT BE FUNNY

[uofom3]

Awesome post - I found it very entertaining.

[240zs30]

hmmmm. Really makes you think.

"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."

Especially this^ Since the company that I work for has similar ways of doing business.

[VacMan]

Great post, thanks.

[JasonC]

That is too true.

[Bimmerista]

That is too true.

+1

[rwh11385]

Presumably you just copied and pasted this joke from another source without considering the statements made, correct? The post is ironic, considering that it is making fun of quality teams and management which was what made Toyota so powerful.

[CorvallisBMW]

Very good read!

[Vedubin01]

actually NO, the problem is that in the story the American team had 8 people steering while 1 man rowing. The 8 people steering for the American team did just that and nothing further. The Japanese team lend hands and make sure that the boat rides smoothly. Problem is that America has not loyalty to the company they work for. Understanding that the company has no loyalty to their employees. In japan its an honor to work hard for their company. And their company takes care of them.

America is lazy and does not understand a hard days work. They rather dictate to the lower skilled workers on how to do the job rather than to it themselves.

Guess you never played team sports and understand team work and loyalty?

[myinfernalbmw]

Thats why i work for Toyota :)

[Coco Savage]

awesome

[NC325iC]

id rather do it myself, personally i hate having to tell others how to do something i can do better myself, they never do it the way i want them to, maybe thats ocd... whatevs

[Vedubin01]

not to bash you, I understand what you are saying but also thats the problem. Many think they can "do it" better themselves but in team sports it takes everyone. The QB in football would be nothing if he did not have his center guards and tackles. Nor the running backs. Everyone has to work as a team and be treated as important as the guy that gets the credit for the play. America is self consumed and feels that they are worth way more as an individual than working as a team. American's feel that they are worth $100 per hour with a HS education or someone that has never done the job strait out of a University. Self indulgence and greed are what is tearing apart the American fabric. We will be a 3rd world country soon if people do not wake up and realize that everyone cant drive Porsche's and have the 60" plasma.

[rwh11385]

actually NO, the problem is that in the story the American team had 8 people steering while 1 man rowing. The 8 people steering for the American team did just that and nothing further. The Japanese team lend hands and make sure that the boat rides smoothly. Problem is that America has not loyalty to the company they work for. Understanding that the company has no loyalty to their employees. In japan its an honor to work hard for their company. And their company takes care of them.

America is lazy and does not understand a hard days work. They rather dictate to the lower skilled workers on how to do the job rather than to it themselves.

Guess you never played team sports and understand team work and loyalty?

I'll agree very much that Japan has a culture around community whereas ours is about personal reward. That would be more like people on the rowing team spending as much time trying to move to a better canoe than rowing or worrying about their teammates. In Japan, people do take roles in process management in the Kaizen system as opposed to lack of involvement for lower workers.

edit: Like you mentioned in 2nd reply of yours, the football team communicates together and even a linebacker can give insightful comments to improve the play of the team instead simply the coach and quarterback able to change the management of the plays/team.

But a HUGE problem for American automakers is employee benefits which would be like the rowing team paying for people who rowed last year and not being able to as effective because of it.

And another important thing Toyota had was lean management instead of high inventory costs which would be like effective management of the strokes in the precisely right timing instead of uncoordinated strokes. Once again, proper management is important. Where the joke makes it seem like the enemy.

and another HUGE mistake American automakers have made is producing cars people are not buying because they don't have flexible manufacturing. As if the crew had to steer around corner, Japan would be able to react quickly when American kept going losing the race. But flexible production lines have grown in use, like the Subaru International of America plant about 15 minutes from me which is outsourcing Toyota Camry's... or BMW lines that can make a variety of cars to meet demand. Long run contracts reduce ability to move with the market demand.

[Spiff325iS]

Rowing Team Quality First Program

That made me LOL.