TM - October 2007 - (Page 35) at all levels of an organization can find themselves in the grip of the cult of productivity — it’s easy to silently and inexplicably cross the invisible boundary between healthy and dysfunctional success. Even in the absence of full-blown toxic success, there might be discordance, diminished job satisfaction and difficulty enjoying unstructured time. The Power of Self-Deception How do you translate global initiatives into local training? MITSUBISHI DID IT BY CALLING ON AMA. Mitsubishi International Corporation (MIC), a wholly owned subsidiary of Japan-based Mitsubishi Corporation, has a substantial—and growing— operation in the U.S. The company faced an enormous training challenge when their Tokyo office stressed the need for all employees to have a solid understanding of financial principles. How could MIC train individuals from different backgrounds and with varying skill sets in a way that made sense across the board? Senior Vice President of Human Resources Richard Lovell and HR Manager Jil Galloway had positive experience with AMA in the past. Says Lovell, “We knew we could modify AMA courses to meet Mitsubishi’s specific needs.” They worked with AMA to create a custom workshop that covered the fundamentals of finance and marketing, and then tied in elements of problem-solving and decision-making. Participants reacted positively to the session and management was pleased with the end results. But the ultimate proof of success is that Mitsubishi is coming back for more, rolling out this workshop to a new group of managers. “I think we’ve had a lot of success with AMA,” concludes Galloway. “Our relationship is growing and we appreciate the support we get.” ARE YOU READY TO BE AN AMA SUCCESS STORY? For information about what AMA’s On-Site Training can do for your employees, visit www.amanet.org/onsite or call 1-800-262-9699 and mention priority code XA5H. Read the full Mitsubishi success story at www.amanet.org/go/mitsubishi One of the consequences of toxic success is hubris. This can be defined as an inflated ego or an exaggerated sense of self-importance that is blind to information that is inconsistent with the false sense of self that has been created. When fully engulfed by hubris, an individual loses the ability to effectively self-manage, and the result is often impulsivity, emotional reactivity and loss of perspective vital to making good business decisions. The above notwithstanding, many people in the throes of toxic success will say they are afraid they will “lose their edge” if they slow down or cut back on their work commitments. It’s understandable — in today’s intensely competitive, rapid-fire business environment, it’s imperative to stay sharp and on top of your game. It can be helpful to examine some of the distorted beliefs surrounding toxic success. Consider the following lamentations from those in its throes. • “I’ve got to work really hard until I make it.” The distorted perception is that life doesn’t begin until one has 1-800-262-9699 I www.amanet.org/onsite Want to better manage the people side of your business? Sign up today for AMA’s free monthly e-newsletter for decision makers. Go to www.amanet.org/go/profits http://www.amanet.org/go/mitsubishi http://www.amanet.org/onsite http://www.amanet.org/go/mitsubishi http://www.amanet.org/onsite http://www.amanet.org/onsite http://www.amanet.org/go/profits
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