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There were two interesting apologies in the news last month: Tiger Woods' and Toyota's. Both "brands" had recently been badly damaged: Tiger's through his numerous affairs and Toyota's through its several recalls on its automobiles. However, what likely has damaged them even more that these "facts" is their delays in apologizing and accepting responsibility and, further, their assumed "cover-up" attempts. The cover-up is always worse than the underlying transgression. This is true with addictions and recovery.
As more comes out about these two stories, it appears Tiger's affairs had been going on for quite some time and, lest one argue that this is purely a matter between him and his wife, I am not so surprised that Tiger is "human" as that he got away with his "perfect image" for as long as he did. With Toyota, U.S. congressional hearings have started not just to oversee quick and efficient corrections to Toyota's safety issues but to determine if Toyota committed criminal conduct by downplaying and covering up these issues earlier. I can't help be reminded of the banks, investment companies, and the pharmaceutical industry.
It is telling that Tiger admitted his wealth, fame, and talent had, essentially, gone to his head and that he began to believe normal rules of conduct didn't apply to him. In a similar vein, Toyota has admitted that it started to take short-cuts in its long-held and relatively successful quality control procedures in response to increasing global demand for its vehicles and figured it could save $100 million by not instituting a recall earlier. Perhaps, like Tiger, Toyota hedged its bets and felt either that its actions wouldn't cause harm or, at least, it wouldn't get caught.
Many are still baffled: "what were they thinking? They had so much to lose for so little." I'm reminded of Winona Ryder and her (in)famous shoplifting incident. We only need turn the mirror on ourselves to think about times--recent or past--where our own best thinking failed us. Again, for those acquainted with addiction and recovery, simple logic rarely is at work. I can't account for any of the pressures Toyota (or its chairman Mr. Toyoda) experiences. I can empathize, however, on some level with the pressures Tiger must have felt to continue "living the perfect life." Perhaps, now, he is finally free on some level. Of course, he may also be working overtime to claw his way back as far as possible to respectability.
We don't know what stressors or pressures go on in people's personal lives. Tiger admitted he'd fallen off his Buddhist practices and I can imagine he's still going through grief over his father's death just a couple of years ago. Reports put Tiger in sex rehab. Is he really a sex addict? Is Winona really a shoplifting addict? Who knows?
Time will tell whether Tiger or Toyota is able to rebound and regain the trust and respect--and the confidence of their respective consumers. In the meantime, perhaps we can learn something about hubris and taking short cuts and about covering-up our misdeeds vs. owning up quickly and humbly.
Terrence Daryl Shulman , is a Detroit area therapist, attorney, author, and consultant. He is the founder and Director of The Shulman Center for Compulsive Theft & Spending. He is the author “Bought Out and $pent! Recovery from Compulsive $hopping and $pending” (2008), “Biting The Hand That Feeds: The Employee Theft Epidemic… New Perspectives, New Solutions” (2005) and “Something for Nothing: Shoplifting Addiction and Recovery” (2003). Mr. Shulman can be reached at terrenceshulman@theshulmancenter.com or 248-358-8508. His websites include www.theshulmancenter.com and www.shopaholicsanonymous.org. Mr. Shulman does counseling and consulting locally and by phone.
Terry is organizing and presenting at The Third International Conference on Compulsive Theft, Spending & Hoarding on Saturday October 1, 2011 from 8:30am – 4:30pm in Detroit at The Embassy Suites Detroit Metro Airport Hotel. See www.theshulmancenter.com/conference11.htm.
Terrence Daryl Shulman , is a Detroit area therapist, attorney, author, and consultant. He is the founder and Director of The Shulman Center for Compulsive Theft & Spending. He is the author “Bought Out and $pent! Recovery from Compulsive $hopping and $pending” (2008), “Biting The Hand That Feeds: The Employee Theft Epidemic… New Perspectives, New Solutions” (2005) and “Something for Nothing: Shoplifting Addiction and Recovery” (2003). Mr. Shulman can be reached at 