"The Michigan Dilemma"
An Analogy Using A Canoe Race

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 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.

The End