The Americans and the Japanese decided to engage in a competitive boat race. Both teams practiced long and hard to reach their peak performance. On the big day, they both felt ready.©OFFICEJOKES.NET

The Japanese won by a mile!©OFFICEJOKES.NET

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.©OFFICEJOKES.NET

The consultants' finding: The Japanese team had eight people rowing and one person steering. The American team had one person rowing and eight people steering.©OFFICEJOKES.NET

After a year of study and millions of dollars spent analyzing the problem, the consulting firm 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.©OFFICEJOKES.NET

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.©OFFICEJOKES.NET

The next year the Japanese won by TWO miles!©OFFICEJOKES.NET

Humiliated, the American corporation laid off the rower for poor work performance and gave the managers a bonus for discovering the problem.