Tame the Primitive Brain: 28 Ways in 28 Days to Manage the Most Impulsive Behaviors at Work

Day 13

Moods Are Contagious

Managing Your Mirror Neurology

If you need rapport—which I don’t think is necessary, most of the time—you could establish it by matching behaviors.

—Richard Bandler

Today you’ll tame:

• The infectious effect of emotions

Taylor, who usually approached meetings with an upbeat, positive attitude, was prepared to lead her first meeting with her new, multinational client as consultant on innovation. She knew she had her work cut out for her; she was aware that innovation is a tricky subject, as it can seem like a bit of a threat to people—even in the most forward-looking organizations.

Unfortunately, the meeting bombed. Those in attendance got the message intellectually, but no one showed any enthusiasm for the journey of discovery upon which the company was about to embark. For Taylor, the response was something of a shock, as it was out of the ordinary for one of her presentations.

As a bit of background, Taylor was feeling a bit down that day. The friend she carpools with had just had a death in the family, and although they had not talked about it on the way to work, the mood in the car had affected her.

To counter the sad mood, she could have made a quick call to an upbeat colleague or friend before the meeting to put her in the right frame of mind; but Taylor had not been aware at the time of how people inevitably absorb one another’s moods, and how this can then impact the atmosphere at work.

We all know that the common cold is contagious; most ...