
There’s no denying it. We all have events that can lead to a reaction. In psychology a trigger is a stimulus; a reminder of a past experience strong enough to generate a reaction. It can be sensory; smell, a sound, an image or just familiar words. When stimulation occurs you have the potential for unintended consequences.
Our emotions are subject to triggers that occur without warning. The stronger the trigger (stimulus), the stronger your potential reaction.
This just in: If you’re a human being, you experience emotions.
We can try to deny it. It happens in corporate environments all the time. But we all know it’s true.
Why would we try to deny it? Mostly it’s because there are times when our emotions get the better of us. They overcome our normal, stable demeanor. When that happens, it’s not always pretty. This in turn, can trigger emotional reactions in others. And that’s not always pretty.
Each day, reflect on the connection between your emotions and your behavior. Identify those behaviors that trigger a negative reaction. Once you have identified the negative triggers, come up with three alternative responses that you can have ready the next time you encounter a trigger.
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The Ask Yourself exercise above is excerpted from an e-book published by our talent assessment partners, TTI Success Insights:
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Tom Lemanski helps accomplished leaders unlock potential, solve complex challenges, and amplify their impact.
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“Power today comes from sharing information, not from withholding it.'” – Keith Ferrazzi
One Response
Good Afternoon Tom,
This is excellent. Thank you for sharing.
Warm regards,
George