Corporate Rowing Teams 

A Japanese company and an American company 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.

Afterwards, the American team became very discouraged and morally 
depressed. The American management decided to find the reason for the
crushing defeat. A "Measurement Team", made up of senior management, was
formed. They would investigate and recommended appropriate action. 

They noted that the Japanese had eight people rowing and one person 
steering, while the Americans had one person rowing and eight people
steering. The American management hired a consulting company. They paid
them incredible amounts of money. They were advised that too many people
were steering the boat and not enough people were rowing.

To prevent losing to the Japanese when the next race was held, 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 single person rowing the boat a greater
incentive to work harder. It was called the "Rowing Team Quality First
Program," complete with a conference, a meeting, a dinner and a free pen 
for the rower. "We can give the rower empowerment and enrichment through 
this quality program."

The next race was won by the Japanese with a margin of 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. They then gave a Team
Performance Award (TPA) to the steering managers and distributed the money
saved as bonuses to the senior executives.