TOPIC: The 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

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.

IF THIS WEREN'T SO TRUE IT MIGHT BE FUNNY, BUT IT ISN¢T!

Ohhhhh this is so true.  lol

A camel is a horse created by a committee...

P.s.  47% of the cost of an American-made car goes toward union-imposed financial obligations (paid even to those who don't work) and US regulations.  The Japs' cars costs only 18% on what they produce HERE and they save on shipping.

Ford and GM are kicking butt internationally, which is what is keeping the companies afloat.  My Ford and GM international stocks (which I recently added to considerably) have made me beaucoup buckoups in the past few years.  Nice-o dividend-o too...

You know you bring up something I have been talking about around the house.  I have always heard (never researched) that these co's do very well over sea's.  Are these co's set up as different entities over sea's?  Are these companies hiding the fact that they are making money over sea's?  Or is the US branch dragging them down so much that its causing them to lose money?  If so, why would they try and keep this market?  Is there a way to get rid of UAW without going out of business?  I could probably keep going.  lol

Good points John.

Those aren't points, they're questions.  They are all easily researched though. 

1.  No, same companies.
2.  Of course not.  All stockholders, like me, get financial statements every year.  It's public information.  GO FIND OUT!
3.  Yes.
4.  Because they are quintessentially American.  It may, however, come to that!
5.  No.

By the way, their best sellers overseas -- SUVs.  Biggest customer for SUVs - Chinese.  Biggest re-purchasers of SUVs?  Chinese - they are crappy drivers, have lousy roads, and crash all the time!