Canoe Race

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A Japanese company and a California company decided to have a canoe race on the Columbia River. Both teams practiced long and hard to reach their peak performance before the race.

On the big day, the Japanese team won by a mile.

Afterwards, the American team was very discouraged and depressed. The management of the California company decided that the reason for the crushing defeat had to be found. A “Measurement Team,” made up of senior corporate management was formed to investigate, and recommend appropriate action.

Their conclusion was that while the Japanese had eight people rowing and one person steering, the Californians had one person rowing and eight people steering.

So the management of the California company hired a consulting firm and paid them enormous sums of money for their guidance and expertise. They advised that, in their considered opinion, too many people were steering the boat, and not enough people were providing motive power by rowing.

To preclude the humiliation of losing to the Japanese again the next year, the rowing team’s management structure was totally reorganized. The new structure called for four Steering Supervisors, three Area Steering Superintendents, and one Assistant Superintendent Steering Manager. They also implemented a new performance evaluation system that would give the one person rowing the boat greater incentive to work harder. It was called the “Rowing Team Quality First Program,” with motivational meetings, recognition dinners and free pens for the rower. At the press conference called to announce the launch of the ambitious new undertaking, the organization’s CEO stated, “We must give the rower empowerment and enrichment through this quality assurance program.”

The next year, the Japanese won by two miles.

Disgraced and mortified, the management of the California company terminated the rower for poor performance, halted research into the development of a new canoe, sold the paddles and canceled all investment in new equipment. Then they used the money saved to give a High Performance Award to the Steering Managers and distributed the balance as bonuses to the senior executives.