Gearhead thoughts!

[Guest Removed]

This is probably so true for many companies

 

I couldn't help but laugh out loud at work when I read it.

 

A Japanese company (Toyota) and an American company (Ford) 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.

 

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 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 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.

[Guest Hal]

Lol, nice post Rob.

[yellowsnake]

lolol. thats some funny shit right there. ford and gm can't make no money b/c they are union. all a union is for, is to keep the lazy man working by doing the least amount.

 

honda and toyota both are made in america, by americans. yes design by japs and such but are still made here. they are NOT union, pay there people well, keep them happy yet we as americans can't see the writing on the wall.

[2highpsi]

Toyota is in better financial condition than Ford, no question.

 

But Toyota was down to 3 billion 1st quarter profit this year

http://www.leftlanenews.com/toyotas-first-quarter-profits-plummet.html

 

And Ford did not lose 9 billion...... They made 100 million

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080424/BIZ/804240449

[Guest 614Streets]

Excelent robert.

[nurkvinny]

That went around years ago, except it was Honda and GM. Funny though.

[Dr. Apex]

When they get rid of the unions they will make money like Toyota.

[Orion]

im still stuck on "gearhead" and "thoughts" in the same sentence.

[ImUrOBGYN]

im still stuck on "gearhead" and "thoughts" in the same sentence.

Yeah, I was expecting something on wooden car bumpers, drinking, horseshoes, Nascar, wrastling or something equally redneck.

[Guest mrhobbz]

Yeah, I was expecting something on wooden car bumpers, drinking, horseshoes, Nascar, wrastling or something equally redneck.

 

truck bed pewls? beer can wedding decorations?