some humour

[Birgitt Bolton]

>From time to time consulting humour finds its way across the airwaves. I
thought this might cause some smiles.

Birgitt


A Canadian and a Japanese corporation 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 Canadian 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 Canadian team had one person rowing and
eight
people steering.

After a year of study and millions spent analyzing the problem, the
consulting firm concluded that too many people were steering and not
enough were rowing on the Canadian team.

Race day neared again the following year, and the Canadian 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 Japanese won by two miles. Humiliated, the Canadians corporation
laid off
the rower for poor performance and gave the managers a bonus for
discovering
the problem.