TO THE AUTO BUSINESS !  (with perchance some application to MCC)

A Modern Parable:

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.

The Americans, very discouraged and  depressed, decided to investigate the reason for the crushing defeat. A  management team made up of senior managers 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 7 people  steering and 2 people 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 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, 2 area steering superintendents and 1 assistant steering  superintendent.

They also implemented a new performance system that would  give the 2 people rowing the boat greater incentive to work harder. It was  called the 'Rowing Team Quality First Program', with meetings, dinners and free  personalized pens for the rowers. There was discussion of getting new paddles,  canoes and other equipment, extra vacation days for practices, and participation  bonuses. The pension program was trimmed to 'equal the competition' and some of  the resultant savings were channeled into morale boosting programs and teamwork  posters.

The next year the Japanese won by two miles.

Humiliated,  the American management laid off one rower, halted development of a new canoe,  sold all the paddles, and canceled all capital programs for new equipment. The  money saved was distributed through bonuses to the Senior Executives.

The  next year, try as he might, the lone designated rower was unable to even finish  the race (having no paddles,) so he was laid off for unacceptable performance,  all canoe equipment was sold, and the next year's racing team was outsourced to  India.

Sadly, the End.