Psychological Self-Help, Professional Finance & Investing, Management & Leadership

Beyond the Looking Glass

Name: Beyond the Looking Glass
Author: Alan Downs
ISBN: 9780814403433

by Alan Downs

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Overview

How can you cure a sickness when you don't know its cause? Many of today's corporations are exhibiting the disturbing symptoms of a hard-to-define illness. You see signs of the malady in numerous ways: irrational decision-making, massive downsizings, excessive executive pay, low morale, and a sense of isolation among employee. At some companies there's an even odder symptom: workaholic managers who seem indifferent to what they're working so hard at. What's going on here? Alan Downs, a noted author and organizational psychologist, has identified a root cause of this baffling and destructive ailment and given it a name. He calls it corporate narcissism. In Beyond the Looking Glass, he diagnoses this syndrome and explores ways to cure it. With dozens of vivid, real-life examples, Beyond the Looking Glass uncovers destructive cases of corporate narcissism and describes healthy companies that have resisted this negative force. Downs points the way to some powerful solutions for overcoming narcissism. If you are at a high level in your company, the book shows you how to create an organizational environment that doesn't tolerate extreme narcissistic behavior. If you work for or with a corporate narcissist, Beyond the Looking Glass shows you numerous self-defense techniques for survival. Ultimately, Beyond the Looking Glass poses the central question: What is the purpose of an organization? For companies like Levi Strauss, Starbuck's, Nordstrom's, and others cited in this book, the purpose goes far beyond profits. Making money is important, certainly - but equally critical are producing excellent products and services as well as providing a satisfying and rewarding place to work. In such a place, employees reward the company with their creativity, loyalty, and energy. That's profitable for all.

According to Alan Downs, there is a severe illness darkening the corporate landscape--narcissism. Using harrowing stories and actual events, Downs examines this silent disease and the long-term damage it causes to employees, productivity, economic stability, and community morale. 208 pp.

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Editorials

Publishers Weekly - Cahners\\Publishers_Weekly

Downs argues that one of the major problems confronting companies today is "corporate narcissism," which he defines as a company focusing on only one thing-profit-while ignoring social responsibility, employee needs and the environment. To a corporate narcissist, the most effective management tool is downsizing, and the narcissist will cut costs down to the bone in order to reap profits for him- or herself. The narcissist isn't concerned with how the job gets done, only that he or she looks good after the project is completed. Downs includes case studies to illustrate how the narcissist approach may help companies in the short term but, ultimately, will hurt them. Companies that he takes to task for adopting this approach include Apple, Bausch & Lomb and Oracle. Downs (Corporate Executions) proposes solutions for dealing with corporate narcissism, such as identifying a company's core competency and sticking to it, while also using regular performance appraisals and ongoing training. He has particular praise for the Levi Strauss company, whose policy emphasizes diversity, employee recognition, ethical management practices and communication. By identifying corporate narcissism as a problem that plagues many American companies, Downs's suggested solutions are likely to cause debate among upper-level executives and rank-and-file employees.

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Downs argues that one of the major problems confronting companies today is "corporate narcissism," which he defines as a company focusing on only one thingprofitwhile ignoring social responsibility, employee needs and the environment. To a corporate narcissist, the most effective management tool is downsizing, and the narcissist will cut costs down to the bone in order to reap profits for him- or herself. The narcissist isn't concerned with how the job gets done, only that he or she looks good after the project is completed. Downs includes case studies to illustrate how the narcissist approach may help companies in the short term but, ultimately, will hurt them. Companies that he takes to task for adopting this approach include Apple, Bausch & Lomb and Oracle. Downs (Corporate Executions) proposes solutions for dealing with corporate narcissism, such as identifying a company's core competency and sticking to it, while also using regular performance appraisals and ongoing training. He has particular praise for the Levi Strauss company, whose policy emphasizes diversity, employee recognition, ethical management practices and communication. By identifying corporate narcissism as a problem that plagues many American companies, Downs's suggested solutions are likely to cause debate among upper-level executives and rank-and-file employees. (May)

Library Journal

Management consultant Downs (Corporate Executions, AMACOM, 1995) defines narcissism as "an obsession with a self-image of success." Through case studies, he describes characteristics of narcissistic managers and how their behavior can ultimately be destructive for themselves, their associates, and their companies. Some symptoms of the narcissistic organization are a structure that evolves around personalities rather than work functions or products, a focus on material success rather than the company's mission, expendability of employees, and an emphasis on competition instead of collaboration. Downs recommends a plan of action for such organizations, including executive coaches, surveys, and management seminars. A checklist is included for readers who wish to analyze their own behavior patterns. An insightful and important work; recommended to both public and academic libraries.Lucy T. Heckman, St. John's Univ. Lib., Jamaica, N.Y.