A Legacy Airline and an LCC decided to have a canoe race on the Mississippi River. Both teams practiced long and hard to reach their peak performance before the race. On the big day the LCC won by a mile.
Afterward, the Legacy team became very discouraged and morally depressed. The Legacy management decided the reason for the crushing defeat had to be found. A Management Team made up of senior management was formed to investigate and recommend appropriate action.
Their conclusion was the LCC had 8 people rowing and 1 person steering, while the Legacy team had 8 people steering and one person rowing. So Legacy management hired a consulting company and paid them an incredible amount of money.
After six months of hard work, they advised that too many people were steering the boat, while not enough people were rowing. So the Legacy team acted: To prevent losing to the LCC again next year, 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. Even new paddles and medical benefit incentives were promised for a winner. We must give the rower the empowerment and enrichments through this quality program.
The next year the LCC won by two miles. Humiliated, the Legacy 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 for a job well done.
Afterward, the Legacy team became very discouraged and morally depressed. The Legacy management decided the reason for the crushing defeat had to be found. A Management Team made up of senior management was formed to investigate and recommend appropriate action.
Their conclusion was the LCC had 8 people rowing and 1 person steering, while the Legacy team had 8 people steering and one person rowing. So Legacy management hired a consulting company and paid them an incredible amount of money.
After six months of hard work, they advised that too many people were steering the boat, while not enough people were rowing. So the Legacy team acted: To prevent losing to the LCC again next year, 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. Even new paddles and medical benefit incentives were promised for a winner. We must give the rower the empowerment and enrichments through this quality program.
The next year the LCC won by two miles. Humiliated, the Legacy 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 for a job well done.
