A humorous look at management practices

2. Once upon a time there was an Arabian rowing team
΃Ύΰ ΃Ϊ ή άϪϧϥ ϣ Ϣϳ ϲϓ ϳϟ ϗ ϛ
Ώέ΃ ΃ ϋ ΪΠΘ Αήϋ ή Ύ ΎϮ ϰϠ ϒϳ Ϡϲ ϖϳ ϓ ϨϫϥϘϟ ϟ ϙ ϛ

3. Arabian team and Japan agreed to do an annual
rowing race. Each team should contain 8 men.
ΪΠΘ γ ΎΒδΑΎ ΃ϋ ΎΑΎ ΃Ώήό ΃Η΃ϒϳ ϠϱϮϨ ϕ ϰϠ ϥϮ ϧ ϭ ϖϔˬ ϟ ϡ ϴϘϟ ϴ ϴϟ ϟ
ι ΎΨη΃Δ ΎΛ ή ΃ Θ ΃ ϋϧϤϦϣϖϳ ϓϞ ϥϮϜϳϥ ϰϠϴϛ

4. Both teams worked really hard to get in the best shape.
The day the race started both teams were in similar
condition. ....the Japanese won by 1 mile.
ΩΪΤ ΃ ΃Ϊ ϋ Ϊ Ο θΑΩ΃ΪόΘγ ΃Ϊ ΎΟ ή ΃ ϋϤ Ϯ Ϩ ϭ ϞϜ ϫ Ϧ ϳ ϔ ϞϤϟϡ ϴϟ ˬ ϴ ϼϟ ϴϘϟϼϛ
ϦϜϭϟ .... ΑΎθΘ ή ΃Ε΃ΰ ΠΗΖ Ύ ΎΒδ ΃ϪϬ ϣϦ ϳ ϔ Ϭ ϧ ϕ ϠϴϘϟ ϴϛ ϟ
ΪΣ΃ έΎΑ ΎΒδ ΃ ΃ ίΎ ΎΑΎ΃ϭϞ ϣϕ ϔϕ ϲϓ ϭ ϓϦ ϧϴϟ ϴ ϴ ϴϟ

5. FINISH‫النهاية‬

6. The mood in the Arabian team was really close to the freeze point.
The top management decided to win the race next year. So they
established a team of analysts to observe the situation and
recommend an appropriate solution.
Ο΃ΰ ή όΗ΃ ό ΃΃΃΃ή΃Μ΃Ώήό΃΃ΐ π ΃ϢϬ ϣ Ϝ ϭ ϮϠϔϧϭˬ ˬϴϛϟϏ
΃άϟ....Δ ΩΎ ΃Δ δ ΃ ΎΒδΎΑί ΃ΐΠ ΄Αέή ήΒ ΃ή Ϊ ΃όΟΎϣ Ϩ ϲϓϕ Ϯϔϳϥ ϳϪϧ ϳ ϳ Ϥ Ϟ ϤϣϘϟ ϟ ϟ Ϙ ϛϷ ϟ
Ϊ Η ΎΒδ ΃ΔΒ ΃ή ΔψΣ Τ ΃ ή β γ΄ΘΑΎϢϳ ϭϕ ϣϭ ϤϦ ϠϠϤ Ϧϣϖϳ ϓϘ ϟ ϗ ϼ ϟ ϴ ϟ ϴ ϡ ϗ
ΔΒγΎ ΃ Τ΃ϨϤ ϮϠϟϝ ϟ

8. After several detailed analysis the team found out that
Japanese had 7 rowers and only one captain.
Ϊ Ύ ΎΑΎ ΍΄Α΍θΘ ΍Δ μ ΓΪ Ϊϋ ΎΤΗΪόΑϢϬϳϥ Ϧ ϧ ϥ Ϯϔ Ϡ ϔϣϳ Ϟ ϭϟ ϛˬ ϴϴϴϟ ϛϴ ϟ7ιΎΨη΍
ΪΣ΍ ΘΑΎ ΪΠΘ΍ϭϦ ϭϒϳ Ϡϛϟ

10. Of course the Arabian team had 7 captains but only one rower.
Αήό ΍ή ΍Ϊ ΎϊΒτ ΎΑϲ ϖϳ ϔϯ ϥ ϭϟ ϟ ϟ ϛ ϟ7ΘΑΎ ιΎΨη΍Ϧ ϢϬϠϛ ϛ
ΪΠΘ΍Δ ϋ ΘΪΣ΍κ Ψη΍ Ύϒϳ ϠϤ ϰ Ϯ ϳ ϭ Ϩϫϭϟ ϴ ϟ ϙ

12. Facing such critical scenario the management showed an unexpected
wisdom: they hired the consulting company to restructure the
Arabian team.
ΜΔ Ο΍ ϊ Θή ΍Ύ Σ΍ΣΔ Αήό ΍Γέ΍Ω ΍Εή χ΍Ύ ΣϞ ϣ Ϭ ϮϤ Ϯ ϣ ϭ ϤϜ Ϭ ϬϨϟˬϗ ϴ Ϗ ϴ ϼ ϴ ϟ Ϲ ϴ
ΝήΤ΍ ΍΍άϒ ϮϤ ϫϟ ϗ ϟ
Δ ΓΩΎϋ Δμ μ ΨΘ Ε΍έΎθΘγ΍Δ ήθΑΔ ΎόΘγ ΎΑ΍ Ύ΍ϠϜϫ ϣ ϧ Ϯϣϓϴ Ϲ ϛϻ Ϙ
Αήό΍ ή ΍ϲ ϖϳ ϔϟ ϟ

14. After several months the consultants came up with
the conclusion that there were too many captains
and too few rowers in the Arabian team. A solution
was proposed based on this analysis: the structure
of the Arabian team has to be changed!
Ψ΍ · έΎθΘδ ΍λ ΗΓΪ Ϊϋέ ηΪόΑϞϠ ϦϤϜϣϰ ϥϭ Ϥ Ϟ Ϯ ϳ ϮϬ ϭϟ ϟ ϟ
ΪΠ ΍ ΩΪϋ ΗΎΒ ΍ ή ΒΩΪϋΩ ΟϦϓ Ϥ ϦϣϞ Ϡ ϭϦ Ϝ Ϧϣ Ϯ ϭϮϫϭϴ ϟ ϴϗ ϟ ϴϛ
ΤΘ΍΍ά ϋ΍΍΍ΎΑ Τ΍ Ϊ ΗΗ Αήό΍ ή ΍΍Ϟ Ϡ ϫϰϠ ϨϞ Ϣϳ Ϣϭ ϲ ϖϳ ϔϲϓϴ ϟ ϟϘ ˬ ϟ ϟ
Αήό΍ ή Δ ΘΤΘ΍Δ Β΍ή Η Β ΍ϲ ϖϳ ϔϠ Ϩ ϐϲϐ ϨϳϪϧ Ϯϫϭϟ ϟ ϴ ϟ ϴϟ ϴϴ

15. As of today there will be only 4 captains in the team led by 2
managers, one top-manager and one rower. Besides that, they
suggested to improve the rower’s working environment and to give
him higher competencies.
Ύ γ ΍Ύ τ ΍΍ϨϫϥϮϜ Ϯ Ϧϣ ϧ ϭϙ ϴϡ ϴϟ ϗϼ4΍ήΪ Ω ή ΍ ΗΎΒϥ ϳ ϣϢϫϮ ϳϖϳ ϔϲϓϦϘ ϟ ϛ
ϋ΍ δ ΍έή Ϊ ·Δ Ύο ΍ΎΑϰϠ ϲ ϳ ϣϰ ϓϴϟ Ϲ
΍ΣήΘ΍ Ϋ ·Δ Ύο ΎΑ ΪΠΘΪΣ΍κ Ψη΍ ΎϮ Ϛ ϰ ϓ ϭ ϒϳ Ϡ ϭ ϨϫϥϮϜϳϭϗ ϟ ϟ Ϲ ˬ ϟ ϙ
΍ ΪΠ ΍κΨθ ΍ ϋΔΌ Αή τΗ Θ ΍ϥ ϭϑ Ϥ Ϟ Ϥ ϳϮ Ϣϳϥˬ ϟ ϟ ϴ
ϋ΍ΰ ΍Σ ΍Ϊ΍ϰϠ ϓ ϮϪ Ϯ ϣ ϳϟϘ

17. Next year the Japanese won by 2 miles.
έΎΑ ΎΑΎ ΍ή ΍ίΎΔ ΎΘ ΍Δ δ ΍ϕ ϔϲϧ ϖϳ ϔ ϓ Ϩ ϲϓϴϟ ϟ ϴϟϟ ϟ2Ϟ ϣϴ

18. FINISH‫النهاية‬

19. The Arabian team immediatelly displaced the rower from the
team based on his unsatisfactory performance.
˱˱έ ΪΠΘ ˱ϋ Όδ ˱κΨθ ˱ ˱ΪΒΘγΎΑΑήό ˱ή ˱ΎϮϓϒϳ Ϧ Ϯ Ϥ ϲ ϖϳ ϔˬ ϟ ϝ ϟ ϟϝ ϟ ϟϡ ϗ
ο ή ˱ή Γ˱˱Ω˱ΐ ΒδΑϲ Ϥϟ ϴϏ

20. But the bonus award was paid to the management for
the strong motivation the the team showed during the
preparation phase. ˱˱ήψ Γέ˱ΩΔ όΠθΗΓ΄ Ύ Ϊ ΗΗϧ ϓϜϣϢϳ Ϣϭˬ Ϻϟ ϴϴ Ϙ
ή πΤΘ ˱Δ Σή Χ ΘΪ ά ˱Ύό ˱Ύ ˱Θδ˱˱Ϡ ϣ Ϫ ϣ ϱ ϲ ϫ ϮϤϴ ϟ ϝϼ ϗ ϟ ϟϟ ϟ

21. The consulting company prepared a new analysis,
which showed that the strategy was good, the
motivation was O.K. but the used tool has to be
improved.
Ϊ ΪΟ ΤΗή π ΤΘΑΕ˱έΎθΘγ ˱Δ ήηΖ Ύ˱ϳ Ϟ Ϡ ϣϴ ϴ ϻϛ ϗ
ΓΪ ΟΖ ΎΔ ΠΗ˱ήΘγ˱˱ ΄Αή χ˱ϧ ϥ Ϭˬ ϴ ϛ ϴϴ ϻ
ΔΒγΎ Ζ Ύΰ ˱˱Τ˱˱ϦϜϭ Ϩϣ ϧ ϓϮϟ ϛ ϟ
Ύή τΗΐ Π Δ ΪΨΘδ ˱Ε˱Ω˱ ˱˱ϫ ϳϮ ϳ ϣ Ϥ ϭ ϦϜ ϭϟ Ϸϟ
Performed by ROCE

22. Currently the Arabian team is designing a new
boat.
‫جديد‬ ‫قارب‬ ‫بتصميم‬ ‫العربي‬ ‫الفريق‬ ‫يقوم‬ ‫حاليا‬