Reds’ Mood Mojo

THE SOUP RECIPE FOR A WINNING TEAM

Even if you’re not a sports junkie, you can still relate to the winning ways of the 2010 Cincinnati Reds. What “mood mix” excels to create the miracle called the Soup of Success? To find out, as a psychologist, I put my head together with a winning Coach, to identify the key ingredients the Cincinnati Reds use to cook up success.

THE SOUP OF SUCCESS INGREDIENTS

Without this combination of ingredients, the soup of success would likely turn into a toxic soup of money-ego-driven chunks of fresh meat, boiling in some sort of septic dish or bowl…

1. THE SUPERSTAR. There is always the main ingredient of a superstar who can take the heat in the kitchen. So, at least one five-star player is always all in on the winning team. That starring player can be a serious geek, like the Reds’ Joey Votto, who is admired by nearly everyone. Although there’s no “I” in “TEAM,” winners do put the “I” in “WIN.” The Reds show a winning recipe for the soup of success.

2.  THE TEAM TAPS INTO THE MOOD MOJO. Team players aren’t jealous of the superstar, but instead they seek advice as they watch the master closely and attempt to mimic the magic of the mood mojo moment. Should you take that, “We’re all in here to win, no matter what our role is…” out of the soup mix, every good soup would turn from a delectable blend of tastes into a bland chemical mess. The Reds have their mood mojo working.

3. THERE ARE VETERANS IN THE CLUBHOUSE. The Reds have rightly brought into the kitchen highly successful veteran individuals (Scott Rolen, Orlando Cabera to name two), who want their good habits to rub off on the other, younger players. Powerful message: It’s more about enjoying the journey than piling up more money. Still love the soup, but love even more the successful team who runs the restaurant like the pros they are. The Reds attitude: “Let’s enjoy this as we go, to give more power to the bat. It’s pretty simple, really.”

4. EVERYONE’S ALL IN. Coach Wooden, of UCLA basketball fame, said, “You must have all your people who are EAGER, accept their roles as equally important team members.” Did you get that – not only ready and willing, but eager…! If you only have one foot in the kitchen so you can escape at any time, then you are really not all in at all. People who aren’t all in, find it so easy to bail when there’s a tough loss, or when someone says something bad about the group or the recipe. The Reds are all in to win.

5. GOOD SUPPORT CAST. Support people of all stripes are critical to the team’s winning recipe. These people may have nothing to do with the actual “front store” game, but they are the “back of the room” unsung heroes who make it possible for the stars to effortlessly shine. Customer-centered support staff, clerical and administrative people, are eager to excel and contribute the spices to the recipe for success, while stirring the pot so the soup won’t scorch. The Reds’ support cast gives the gift of making everyone look good.

6.  MENTOR GUIDANCE. A good team always reveres mentor guidance, a necessary ingredient in the soup. In the midst of chaos, mind over emotion mentors stick to the basic recipe for success. They aren’t set adrift in a storm of bad moods, and they keep everyone calm when fears drown out common sense. Mentors (trainers, consultants) are eager to share what they’ve learned over their career in a specialized area. Reds’ mentors re-energize spirits that are sagging.

7. COACH MUST LIKE ME. Team players thrive with this coach (or boss) message: “As a player, I care about you. I care about how you’re doing. I’m not going to let you down or let your flounder here. I’m ALL IN. You are not a cog in a machine. You are an irreplaceable ingredient in our success. I will never throw you under the bus. The Reds’ Chef has an “aura of believability,” always coming up with a way to amend the almost perfect recipe with a bit more of this or a tad less of that.

Bad food or bad soup tastes like it has an overwhelming amount of one thing or another or is absolutely lacking in something else, instead of having a good balance. The Chef knows that a balanced recipe, especially with extra mood mojo, is best.

Players see that the Chef knows how to make a great pot of soup.

Are you cooking up the soup of a winning team in your business like the Reds have done? Chances are, you’re not, because there are so few winning teams around. The winning teams have all the right ingredients assembled and in place…and so can you!

Dr. Dennis O’Grady, Dayton clinical psychologist, might not claim to be a sports nut but he is a “Mood Management” expert with “million dollar” communication tools every successful team can use. You can access his training works at www.drogrady.com.

The Listening Bridge

THE LISTENING BRIDGE

You are at the center of the world when it comes to being a confident and competent communicator. So, how do you build a “listening bridge” to safely speed travel between yourself and your talk partner, as you move on down on the two-way communicator highway? Recent workshop participants provided these tips…

1. Respect is spelled LISTEN.

2. A little effort is often all it takes to maintain good relationship communication at home and at work.

3. Even though someone doesn’t respond to your idea, it doesn’t mean it’s a bad idea. Don’t take the non-response to your idea personally.

4. Listen…ListenLISTEN. Don’t make a snap judgment or premature decision before you hear the entire thought.

5. R-E-S-P-E-C-T = LISTEN.

6. Confidence and competence matter equally in trusting communication.

7. Don’t let perceptions get in the way of getting things done!

8. Trust and respect flow from the hub of internal communication…down the spokes to others in the company…and out to your external customers.

9. Go to meetings with an open mind and give each person around the Communicator Table time to ask questions or to respond to the new idea. And if they don’t respond, don’t let it hurt your feelings or inhibit future presentations of your ideas. Don’t take it all to heart.

10. Be more understanding of both sides – Empathizer and Instigator – in order to forge an alliance and accommodate needs. Meet in the middle of the Communicator Table to co-develop strategies which will result in improved results that astonish everyone.

11. Treat everybody the way you would like to be treated!

You are at the center of the communication bridge, building rapport, trust, and connections to boost a bummer mood and nurture confidence. Old bridges start to crumble when maintenance isn’t performed on a regular basis. So, too, is the case with communication – you must inspect your interactions with family, friends, and co-workers on a routine basis, just to make certain that your communication is still as strong and dependable as it was on the day you began using the Talk2Me© system.

Dr. Dennis O’Grady is a Dayton family psychologist who teaches confidence-building mood management relationship communication tools. Phone: 937-428-0724.

Talk-Team Mood

TALK-TEAM MOOD

What’s the mood tone of your team at work? Grumpy, frazzled, sad, apprehensive, glad? Teams who talk about moods consciously boost output. You, too, are a mood-maker or a mood-breaker. The choice is yours.

STRENGTHS WHICH SET THE MOOD OF AN A-1 TEAM

I worked with one team which acknowledged their individual and collective strengths. The following list illustrates how this loss-experienced team stood shoulder-to-shoulder to create the mood of their team. Talk-Team Mood demonstrated…

  • Multiple personality expertise
  • A “My door is half-open” vs. “My door is half-closed” attitude
  • Multi-cultural appreciators
  • Mentoring empowerment
  • Being an informational hub
  • That all people are unique Empathizer or Instigator communicators
  • Role modeling positive attitudes during defeat
  • Supporting others by allowing dumping of feelings without dumping on others
  • Spreading around a Mood of Trust
  • Humorous dedication…dedication to using humor to relieve stress
  • Getting a grip on differing viewpoints without driving a wedge
  • Problem-fixers and change-experts
  • Minding the Mood Store…don’t spread around a bad mood like manure
  • Being flexible dressers: Wear different hats during the day
  • Being accomplishers who get the “to do” list (DO)NE
  • How to make everyone on the team feel important
  • How to help anyone up who has been knocked down
  • Being great Calmers of Apprehensions
  • Following the Fairness Doctrine (Do as I do, not as I say you should do.)
  • Applying the Golden Rule
  • Being fearless: Don’t fear change…March off the map into the unknown
  • An atmosphere of encouragement to be A Bringer of Peace
  • Guts galore: “I’ll go to bat for you.”
  • Unifiers: “Let’s connect tunnels to the silos and not be so self-absorbed”
  • How to Listen Up: Take the pulse…Listen…Put your listening ears on…Be flexible…Collaborate for change
  • Going the extra mile with a smile on
  • Volunteerism: A good work ethic
  • Open-mindedness: “We’re just here to talk” attitude
  • Who’s #1: “We’re all 1-team!”
  • “Hands on” support for different types of people
  • Provide supportive…safe…sacred space
  • How to Navigate the Mood of The Organization
  • Being a good sport: “I’ll be back…” movie impersonations
  • Being People Lovers
  • Being cultural integrationists
  • “Less butt touches on chairs…” AKA don’t waste customer time
  • Customer Focus: “Make it easy…quick…painless…appreciated”
  • Ways to reduce friction and frustration wherever you go
  • How to relieve disheartenment by spreading around a Mood of Hope
  • Always using courtesy and respect, no matter what you’re getting back
  • Valor: “We live these values because this is who we truly are.…”
  • Simplification: Get back to what’s working when what you’re doing isn’t working
  • Being a strong Pillar of Honest and Effective Communication
  • Devotion
  • Putting salve on a pervasive sense of loss and grief

Do you use strength-focused Mood Talk to make the best lemonade out of bad times that ordinarily put you in a sour mood? I’ll bet you do, using Mood Management Tools.

TEAM UP USING A GOOD MOOD

Team Drive is impacted by intersecting organizational issues such as:

► staffing

► budgetary constraints

► integration of departments

► effective communication regarding change

► mood

You can choose your mood. Mood spelled backwards spells D-O-O-M…but only if you allow it to.

Dr. Dennis O’Grady is a Dayton psychologist, family business consultant and marriage counselor. Dr. O’Grady can be reached at (937) 428-0724.

Who Owns Your Mood?

WHO OWNS YOUR MOOD?

Here’s a steady mood affirmation to remind you that you are more in charge of your mood than you might believe you are…

MY MIND IS MY OWN

My mind is my own

I own my own mind

I close my mind to negative influences

I open my mind to positive influences

The gold mine of my mind, I mine for my success

Written by Dr. Dennis O’Grady who is a Dayton psychologist, couples counseling expert, and Life Coach in Effective Communication. New Insights Communication: (937) 428-0724

Mom’s and/or Dad’s Sunday Moods

MOM’S and/or DAD’S SUNDAY MOODS

Do women have more bad moods than men do? Depends on who you talk to. In the TALK2ME© world of Empathizer vs. Instigator communicator planets, moods aren’t a female-male thing, or a dad-mom thing, or a parent-teen thing, or a doctor-nurse thing, but a human condition. A cosmic joke told by a higher power, perhaps?

What are mood indicators? Wouldn’t it be helpful if there were a color code bar on the shoulder – red for mad, blue for the blues, purple for peaceful – so you could read the mood of another without using words? That’s how the Talk2Me© system can help you serenely drive around congested traffic patterns on the communication highway.

GATHERING BAD MOODS AROUND YOU?

Well, here are real life clues from family members that your mood, whether you’re a dad or a mom, is being spread around like a poison infesting clear communication waters…

·            Not very communicative/talkative

·            Talk is more like a quiz than a conversation

·            Never sure what will set off anger

·            Inappropriate degree/amount of anger; i.e. furious over something minor

·            Misdirection of anger; i.e. handles major things, then blows up at little things

·            Saying something is never enough

·            Having mood meltdowns and making others take a guilt trip

·            Personally experience feelings, or feel “energy field vibrations,” that repel like an electric fence

Do you treat others at work to the best or worst of your mood? When you come home, do you drag a bad mood with you?

ONLY ONE RIGHT WAY — MY WAY

In my research, Empathizers were shown to more likely take on the bad moods of others, while Instigators are more likely to incite or spread a bad mood around to others. Either way, your mood is your business to profit by. Bad moods are spread due to close-minded mind trips such as “It’s my way or the highway” or “You must think, feel, do, and say as I do or there will be there will be way too much to pay….”

Dennis O’Grady is a Dayton psychologist, family therapist and couple counselor. New Insights Communication: (937) 428-0724.