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Coporate America Ftl - Flofocus - 12-03-2008
A Japanese company ( Toyota ) and an American company (Ford Motors) decided to have a canoe race on the Missouri River. Both teams practised 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 developmen t 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.
Coporate America Ftl - Oscar The Grouch - 12-03-2008
So very true.
Coporate America Ftl - OAC_Sparky - 12-03-2008
So very old.
http://www.just-auto.com/blogdetail.aspx?id=1107
Welcome to 2006.
Coporate America Ftl - Flofocus - 12-03-2008
1st time I've ever read it.
Coporate America Ftl - OAC_Sparky - 12-03-2008
You should get out more then, lol.
Coporate America Ftl - Flofocus - 12-03-2008
OAC_Sparky,Dec 2 2008, 01:30 PM Wrote:You should get out more then, lol.
[right][snapback]277548[/snapback][/right]
Wouldnt it be the other way around?
I should STAY in more then, sit on my fat ass and read EVERYTHING on the net?
I know when I go out, the latest and greatest internet jokes are not the things we talk about. ;)
lol
Coporate America Ftl - OAC_Sparky - 12-03-2008
Flofocus,Dec 2 2008, 12:32 PM Wrote:The point was, the joke you posted was neither the latest, nor the greatest.OAC_Sparky,Dec 2 2008, 01:30 PM Wrote:You should get out more then, lol.
[right][snapback]277548[/snapback][/right]
Wouldnt it be the other way around?
I should STAY in more then, sit on my fat ass and read EVERYTHING on the net?
I know when I go out, the latest and greatest internet jokes are not the things we talk about. ;)
lol
[right][snapback]277549[/snapback][/right]
And if you got out as much as you infer your ass wouldn't be as fat as it is. :lol:
Coporate America Ftl - Flofocus - 12-03-2008
ok, I'll run the internet jokes by you before posting then since you seem to be up to date on all internet related stuff.
For the rest, enjoy it, its funny. :D
Coporate America Ftl - darkpuppet - 12-03-2008
it would be funnier if it were GM... Ford hasn't lost as much money as they have recently, and are the closest to being on track for a recovery in the near future.
Something GM isn't even close to.
I'm always a bit puzzled about people's rush to point out how great japanese companies are, but they are in fact not much different than american companies.
The difference is that they are growing into a market, while the american companies failed to accomodate a shrinking share of a market.
For as efficient as Japanese management seems to be, they recently recovered from their own financial crisis, and Japanese hubris is their pride, and it's bitten more than one japanese company in the ass recently.
If you inspire western manufacturing you'll get inspired results.
Coporate America Ftl - Flofocus - 12-03-2008
darkpuppet,Dec 2 2008, 02:09 PM Wrote:it would be funnier if it were GM... [right][snapback]277560[/snapback][/right]
pfffff.....what kind of team PITA member would I be then? :rolleyes: :lol: :ph34r:
Coporate America Ftl - darkpuppet - 12-03-2008
Flofocus,Dec 2 2008, 02:12 PM Wrote:darkpuppet,Dec 2 2008, 02:09 PM Wrote:it would be funnier if it were GM... [right][snapback]277560[/snapback][/right]
pfffff.....what kind of team PITA member would I be then? :rolleyes: :lol: :ph34r:
[right][snapback]277561[/snapback][/right]
true... sometimes I forget :(
Coporate America Ftl - SVT ZX3 - 12-03-2008
Flofocus,Dec 2 2008, 10:10 AM Wrote: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.
[right][snapback]277539[/snapback][/right]
Would that have anything to do with where the respective plants are located in the US? How many of Toyota's plants are located in states where they have laws AGAINST unions? I guess what I'm asking is what is the ratio of Unionized Ford factories vs. unionized Toyota factories?