Boat Race US vs. Japan

[randlemanboater]

> Boat Race
>
> The Americans and the Japanese decided to engage in a
> competitive boat race. Both teams practiced hard and long to
> reach their peak performance. On the big day they felt
> ready.
>
> The Japanese won by a mile.
>
> Afterward, the American team was discouraged by the loss.
> Morale sagged. Corporate management decided that the reason
> for the crushing defeat had to be found, so a consulting
> firm was hired to investigate the problem and recommend
> corrective action.
>
> The consultant's finding: The Japanese team had eight people
> rowing and one person steering; the American team had one
> person rowing and eight people steering.
>
> After a year of study and millions spent analyzing the
> problem, the consultants concluded that too many people were
> steering and not enough were rowing on the American team. So
> as race day neared again the following year, the American
> team's management structure was completely reorganized. The
> new structure: four steering managers, three area steering
> managers, and a new performance review system for the person
> rowing the boat to provide work incentive.
>
> The next year, the Japanese won by two miles. Humiliated,
> the American corporation laid off the rower for poor
> performance and gave the managers a bonus for discovering
> the problem.