How to Deal With the Constant Stress of a Battered Economy

30. October 2008 by John Schinnerer.

Eight of Ten Americans Stressed About Money, Economy

By John Schinnerer, Ph.D.

Which comes first – fear or economic chaos? Companies as varied as Yahoo, American Express, and Time Inc. are laying off employees. Corporate profits are dropping. The stock market is in a chaotic panic. Housing prices have plunged. Consumer debt is on the rise. The U.S. economy is in a full blown recession, and possibly, a depression.  

Money and the economy are at the top of a long list of stressors for Americans as reported in a recent study by Harris Interactive and the American Psychological Association (October, 2008). Eighty percent (80%) of Americans are stressed about the state of the economy. So how do you manage the unyielding stress that comes with difficult economic times?  

Identify Fear, Anxiety and Stress

The first step to overcoming stress is to correctly identify it. When you are afraid, your blood gathers in the large muscle groups such as those in your legs, preparing your body to flee. Your body freezes for a moment to gauge your possible reactions such what is the quickest escape route. The brain sounds the alarm to put your body on alert, making it edgy and ready for action. Accompanying this is an overwhelming flood of anxious, fearful thoughts which seem to be uncontrollable. This intense cycle of fear and worry can paralyze you. It also paralyzes the rational mind, making it difficult to think clearly. Fear and stress are closely linked. When fear is sparked, the emotional brain begins its dance of anxiety, forcing the brain to focus on the perceived threat. The fearful mind spins in an endless loop of negative thoughts.

Fear lies at the heart of all stress. Stress is fear stretched out over time. It is the general alarm reaction sounded by the nervous system when you perceive that a demand is being made on you that you cannot handle. Once the alarm has focused your attention, the negative thought spirals, the racing heart, and the muscle tension are of no further assistance to you. On the contrary, long-term stress causes damage to your body on a number of levels – difficulty thinking clearly, damage to arteries, killing brain cells, and limiting the number of options open to you. On the bright side, stress and fear can be managed depending on how you approach them. Nothing is more important right now than learning to manage your stress – the fate of the entire world may depend on a critical mass of people staying calm and overcoming stress.

Turn Off the Alarm

Once the stress is identified, the second step is to turn the alarm off. This is done through exercise, deep breathing, meditation, prayer or other means to clear your mind of negative thoughts. If you have not yet learned to clear your mind, a good place to start is Guide To Self: The Beginner’s Guide to Managing Emotion and Thought.

Courage, Bravery and Heroism

The third step is the realization that courage is the antidote to fear. Courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is overcoming fear. This step involves taking concrete actions to keep moving forward in a constructive direction. By reframing the question as, “What am I willing to try?” you can make change exciting, rather than paralyzing. Courage is not the absence of fear but the exorcising of it. Feel the fear and push through it anyway. It is the conquering of the fear that makes one courageous. One cannot be brave without fear. Think of courage as a virtue to be exercised daily rather than imagining it as expressed only in acts of heroism.  You are courageous…every day.  

Focus on Gratitude

Another way to bounce back from stressful times is to direct your thoughts daily to those things for which you are grateful. This simple act connects you with your higher, more centered self. To do so, think about the following:You are alive.You are loved by others.You can see, hear and breathe on your own.You can read and comprehend these words.You can vote in a country with freedom of speech and of religion.All of these are basics which are often taken for granted. Make your own daily list of things for which you are grateful. By cultivating gratitude, you consciously move your thoughts away from the thousands of voices adding to the environment of fear and begin to stem the tide of stress.

Look for the Positive Meaning Amidst the Rubble

Finally, look deep into your current situation and seek any and all positive meanings that may be pulled from it. Every situation exists to teach you something. Your best strategy is to uncover those life-altering lessons in difficult times and use them to motivate you towards positive, constructive action. An example of a life lesson in this situation is the realization that you are resilient, you will survive. And with that knowledge comes power (“If I can survive this, I can survive anything.”). With complete awareness, allow yourself to calmly and rationally consider what options are available to you to create your best possible future.

Remember that our country has survived such economic hardships in the past and we will survive this one. Americans are highly resilient. We will bounce back from this difficulty with more energy, greater innovation, and more wisdom than we had prior to it. That is what we do, for we are Americans. We don’t just roll. We bounce.

About the Author John Schinnerer, Ph.D.

Dr. John Schinnerer graduated summa cum laude from U.C. Berkeley with a Ph.D. in psychology. Dr. Schinnerer has been an executive coach and psychologist for over 10 years. Dr. John Schinnerer is President and Founder of Guide To Self, a company that focuses on coaching individuals and groups to their potential using the latest in positive psychology. Most recently, Dr. John Schinnerer hosted over 200 episodes of Guide To Self Radio, a prime time radio show, in the San Francisco Bay Area.Dr. Schinnerer is also President of Infinet Assessment, a psychological testing company to help firms select the best applicants. Infinet was founded in 1997 and has worked with companies such as UPS, CSE Insurance Group, McQuay International and Schreiber Foods.Dr. John Schinnerer previously served as Chief Communication Officer of Emotion Mining Company, which measured emotions for branding, marketing and organizational change.
Dr. Schinnerer’s areas of expertise range from positive psychology, to emotional awareness, to moral development to sports psychology. He is a noted speaker and author on topics such as emotional intelligence, happiness in the workplace and executive leadership. Dr. Schinnerer wrote, “Guide To Self: The Beginner’s Guide To Managing Emotion and Thought,” which was awarded the “Best Self-Help Book of 2007” by East Bay Express. He has written articles on corporate ethics and EQ in the workplace for Workspan magazine, HR.com, and Business Ethics. He has given numerous presentations, radio shows and seminars to tens of thousands of people for organizations such as SHRM, NCHRA, KNEW and KDIA.

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Positive Psychology as the Offense of a Great Football Team

1. October 2008 by John Schinnerer.

Imagine your favorite football team playing in the Super Bowl. Your team has a great defensive unit. However, they have a terrible offense. While they can prevent the other team from scoring, they cannot put points on the board themselves.  It is highly difficult to win with defense alone.

For the past century, sports psychology and psychology, in general, have focused on building a good defense in the face of human suffering and loss. However, we’ve done so at the cost of finding reliable ways to help people move to more meaningful and satisfying lives. Positive psychology is bringing more balance to the field, so that psychologists, sports psychologists and clients alike can easily bob up and down over the vicissitudes of life, using their strengths to create more positive emotions and ultimately win the game of life. Positive psychology helps you move from surviving to thriving.

Life is a game. Play it well. Having talent alone does not guarantee success. Those who rise to their potential share a common set of beliefs that compel them to work hard, live according to their values and have a long-term plan.

Dr. John Schinnerer, Guide To Self, Inc.

http://www.guidetoself.com/index.html

Posted in emotional intelligence, guide to self, life coach, staying calm, happiness, morals and values, Ethics, creativity, dr. john schinnerer, positive psychology, Counseling, forgiveness, business, managing stress, realistic optimism, Sports Psychology | Print | No Comments »

Ten Simple Steps to Happiness - Using Positive Psychology to Make the Most of Life

29. September 2008 by John Schinnerer.

Dr. John L. Schinnerer    Guide To Self

Having spent over twenty years studying philosophy, psychology and in particular, positive psychology, I have identified ten steps that make up the path to a happy, fulfilling life. Each one of us holds ten qualities that may be used to establish a solid foundation of inner peace built upon personal resiliency. I like to think of each one as a step along the path the personal peace. Walking this path allows one to remain calm and centered, even when surrounded by chaos and conflict. Each step is comprised of smaller, more discrete steps. And some steps may take several years to develop and strengthen. Yet, all of them can be learned. 1. LEARN EMOTIONAL MANAGEMENT

Management of your emotions consists of four parts: emotional self-awareness, emotional self-control, relationship management, and social awareness. Emotional awareness is the ability to recognize your emotions as they occur and the impact that they have on your performance. It also entails a realistic optimism based on your past accomplishments. Emotional self-control consists of trustworthiness, self-discipline, and being calm under fire. It is primarily the capacity to keep negative emotions in check. Social awareness is the ability to sense and understand the emotional and political undercurrents of groups, whether they be your family or your work group. It also involves an awareness of other peoples’ concerns and emotions.  Relationship management exists when you can effectively give and take emotionally-laden information. When you can deal with difficult issues in a straightforward manner, then you can use your emotions to inspire and motivate others.  Emotional management is first on the list as emotions are the primary driving force for all our thoughts and actions.  Poor emotional management can cloud bright dreams, block optimistic thoughts and limit positive action. Studies have shown that the benchmark for a happy, thriving life is three times as much positive emotion as negative emotion. Think about your emotions over the past month. Do you spend 75% of your time feeling happy, content, relaxed or peaceful? Unfortunately, only roughly 10% of people in the U.S. do.

The good news is that there are proven ways to increase the frequency with which you feel positive emotions and to reduce the frequency and intensity of ‘destructive’ emotions such as anger, fear and sadness.

As emotions underlie every thought, perception and action you have, you must be able to accurately identify which emotion you are feeling as you are experiencing it. This takes practice. When you feel an emotion coming on, ask yourself, “What do I notice happening within my body?” and “What happened right before this emotion to possibly trigger it?” 

Example: My wife and I are parents of four children – two daughters and two sons. My children frequently teach me lessons in emotional awareness and self-control. At one point, my oldest son, who was seven at the time, was ashamed to cry. He felt boys weren’t supposed to cry. I told him that crying was fine for all of us. That wasn’t good enough for him. He asked to see me cry.  A few years ago, I was hobbled by sciatica. Sciatica is a pinched nerve that causes shooting pain that cannot be dulled by medication, ice or heat. One night, I was lying in my bed on ice packs to control the pain. The pain was so intense that tears began to run down my face. My wife sat by my side and watched with quiet compassion, knowing there was nothing she could do to help. Suddenly, I remembered my commitment to my son to share my tears with him. I asked my wife to get my son so he could see me cry. Both my son and daughter ran into the room to see my tears. Upon seeing my tears, he was filled with concern. The simple act of witnessing my tears had a tremendous impact on him. Now, he is much more comfortable and less ashamed when he cries.  As a child, were you given permission to express your feelings? For most of us, the answer is “No.” If we are to act as role models for our children, friends, and coworkers, we must be willing to share our emotions openly as long as they are not harmful to others. This is especially critical for men and boys who have not been given permission in the past to express emotions freely. Think of it as a shift in generational paradigm. Earlier generations were taught not to show emotions. We now know that emotions exist for a purpose. Those who are skilled in recognizing, honoring and controlling their emotions are well on their way to success in their life. Teach yourself and those around you how to recognize and manage their emotions and everyone will benefit. 2. MASTER YOUR THOUGHTS

Learn to think properly. Challenge your negative thoughts. Surround yourself with great thinkers. You will never go any higher than you think. Thoughts, and the words that come from them, can distort the way you view reality. You may be your own worst enemy. You can beat your self merely by thinking of defeat over and over. You can make yourself sad by constantly talking about your sorrows. Words to beware of include always, never, should, could, and ought. These are all words that lead to judgmental thinking or all-or-nothing thinking. Both types of thoughts are dangerous.  Briefly, here’s how the brain works: You have a thought. Your brain releases chemicals. Electrical and chemical messengers pass through your brain. You become aware of what you are thinking. Every time you have a negative thought, your brain releases negative chemicals that make your body feel bad. When you get mad, for example, your muscles tense, your heart beats faster, your hands start to sweat, and your brain freezes. Your body reacts to every positive and negative thought you have. Beliefs drive behavior. For example, some may believe they are doomed to have poor interpersonal relationships, because that is what happened in the past. The goal is to change the negative thoughts and beliefs to positive ones.  Research has shown that happy, hopeful thoughts have an overall calming effect on the brain, while negative thoughts lead to depression and anxiety. Your thoughts matter. Coaching is very powerful in helping individuals improve their mastery over thoughts as well as emotions.  

We have been granted control over one thing in our lives - our thoughts – and it is a powerful gift, one that most squander.

 Albert Einstein stated, “The world we have created is a product of our thinking; it cannot be changed without changing our thinking.” Buddha wrote, “”All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think we become.” If you want to change your world, begin by mastering your thinking.  

3. BELIEVE IN A HIGHER POWER

The third step on the path to a peaceful existence is faith in a higher power. Faith cannot be arrived at by means of the intellect. In my opinion, faith is inherently emotional. That’s why it is a leap of faith. It must be approached at an emotional level. In my experience, emotional awareness is necessary for true faith. Originally, I approached spirituality from a purely intellectual view. The intellectual approach merely allowed me to become familiar with the concepts of world religions. It provided me with a distant connection to something greater than myself. However, it did not lead to a satisfying personal relationship with a higher power. There is a huge difference between connecting to a higher power with your heart rather than your head. In order to have a true relationship with a higher power, I had to first become more emotionally aware. I spent over a decade developing my emotional abilities. I now believe that true faith can only happen via an emotion connection. True faith is a highly personal relationship with your higher power. This means that you communicate, or pray, with your higher power several times a day. Typically, people begin this relationship by praying once every few days, then once a day, and ultimately several times a day. Mindful prayer allows us to give up our fears, anger, sadness, doubt and limitations to our higher power. Faith allows us to relinquish our need for control. When things are going well, a personal relationship with a power greater than ourselves enables us to see the beauty in the smallest of happenings – an eagle flying overhead, a sunrise, a child’s smile.  Progress results from persistence with purpose. And purpose comes from belief in a higher power. To be successful in this world, it is necessary to accept it as it is and to rise above it. 4. LOVE UNCONDITIONALLY

Dr. Joyce Brothers said, “When you come right down to it, the secret of having it all is loving it all.” Unconditional love is the intentional choice to look for the best in people, other living creatures and any part of nature. Other people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. By noticing the beauty that surrounds us everyday, we can lift up ourselves and others.

How to Foster Unconditional Love:  

1.) Seek Out the Good in Others: Actively look for good traits and noble deeds in other people. Only use positive and supportive language. When you compliment other people, be specific about the behavior you are praising.  For example, rather than saying “Nice work,” you might say, “Hey, you did a fantastic job closing the sale with Acme!” Remind those around you of their unique talents on a daily basis. Learn to let go of your first impression, your automatic judgment.  For instance, I can look at my wife, whom I have been with for 20 years; and I am still able to discover new and interesting details in her physical appearance. When I share them with her, she gets excited and happy and the glow in her face makes me want to go to the ends of the earth with her.

2.) Stop Judging: Secondly, challenge your negative judgments. Judgments are deadly. Judgments create negative emotions such as guilt and shame and tear down self-esteem. Judgments are unfair. You can never be aware of the circumstances that have led another person to a particular point in their life. So you are never in a position to judge their actions and decisions.

5. SUPPORT AND FOLLOW DREAMS

Follow your dreams and support the dreams of those you love. While this is a difficult step, it is an omission to live life without a mission. Your dreams provide you with mission and purpose. This step enables you to focus on that which inspires or uplifts us, letting us play a part in forming a better world as we receive good intentions and carry them out. The famous psychologist, Erich Fromm wrote, “”Man’s main task in life is to give birth to himself.” The way in which we give birth to ourselves is by listening to and following our dreams.

How to Access Your Dreams:  

Ask yourself…

 What would make me happy?

 Why would it make me happy, and why is it important to me? 

How will it benefit other people? 

When do I want it to happen?

Keep a journal by your bed to write down your thoughts and feelings. Over time, as you write, your dreams will reveal themselves to you.

6. FOSTER COURAGE. CONQUER YOUR FEARS.

Courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is overcoming your fear. This step involves taking concrete actions to help us achieve our dreams. By reframing the question as, “What am I willing to try?” you can make change exciting, rather than paralyzing. Whenever you feel fearful, find out what it is that is making you feel that way. Then, go after the fear-inducing situation.

Example:  I had a fear of speaking in public. I figured out that my fear was holding me back personally and professionally. I decided to attack the fear by becoming president of a human resources organization. This forced me to speak in front of a crowd at least once a month. It also forced me to socialize with others which lead to other speaking engagements. After one year, I’m happy to report that my fear of public speaking is under control. I’m currently doing biweekly interviews on the radio as well as regular public speaking engagements.

7. APPRECIATE WHAT YOU HAVE

This step lets us be content with what we have created, showing us that we are not here just to carry on but to satisfy our souls and arouse others to do the same. In your journal, write about what makes you joyful every day. Answer the questions…  What is going right today? What and why does it make me happy? What contributed to my happiness? Write down three things that you are grateful for each and every day. This is a subtle yet powerful way to shift your mindset from negative to positive, from focusing on what you don’t have to what you do have.

8. DEVELOP AND TRUST YOUR INTUITION

‘As soon as you trust yourself, you will know how to live,’ wrote the author Goethe. Trusting yourself is at the heart of the intuition.Intuition is the ability to be aware of or know something without having to discover or perceive it. Intuition is our internal radar system that aligns our thoughts, feelings and actions for the purpose of helping us grow and keeping us from harm.

How to Develop Intuition: When you feel stressed or anxious, take a moment and close your eyes, relax, and breathe deeply. Take 3 deep, slow breaths. Ask yourself what your best course of action is. Listen to your head. Listen to your body. Most men sense their intuition in their stomach, or “gut”, as in a “gut feeling.” Most women sense it in their heart, or their chest. Learn where your intuition can be heard. Intuition is very quiet when you first start listening. Be quiet. Be still. Breathe. Listen.

9. NEVER COMPROMISE YOUR INTEGRITY

This step involves understanding who you are now and who you want to be. Integrity reminds us of our authentic self and our unique role in the universe.All of us benefit from a series of ethical guideposts which we can use to steer our actions towards the greater good. With that in mind, here is a framework that has been helpful for millions of people. This framework is based on five steps:

1)     Define the situation

2)     Gather data from different sources

3)     Identify your options

4)     Weigh the various outcomes

5)     Make a decision.

Always remember that the best courses of action rely on intuition, emotion (your “gut” feeling), data from your senses, data from trusted sources, and what you know is right in the larger scheme of things. It is also helpful to write down your top 5 values (e.g., family, work, money, happiness, etc.) and to prioritize them. Trouble arises when your values come into conflict with one another. If you know what your values are and how they compare to one another, there is less chance of compromising your values. The more you think and act with integrity, the more you become an ethical person.

10. EXERCISE DAILY

The final step focuses on physical exercise to enhance your physical, emotional and psychological well-being. The goal is to exercise vigorously for a minimum of 20-30 minutes at least 5 days a week. A few of the benefits of exercise include a happier mood, a healthier immune system, reduced weight, and a better functioning brain. The type of exercise that you prefer doesn’t matter. Even brisk walking has tremendous positive benefits.

Summary: All change begins with awareness and intention. These ten steps to a personal peace may be overwhelming if taken all at once. The idea is to address one area at a time. Focus on the area which you would like to improve and pay attention to it every day for one month. Change is inevitable. By following these ten steps, you too may find a personal peace.  

‘He who knows others is wise; he who knows himself is enlightened.’
Lao Tzu

Author’s Bio:

Dr. John Schinnerer is President of Guide To Self, the positive psychology coaching company. Dr. John hosted Guide To Self Radio for 200 episodes. He authored the “Best Self-Help Book of 2007” titled “Guide To Self: The Beginner’s Guide To Managing Emotion and Thought.” Dr. Schinnerer graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Ph.D. in psychology from U.C. Berkeley. Dr. Schinnerer has been a coach and counselor for over 10 years.Dr. Schinnerer’s areas of expertise range from positive psychology, to emotional awareness, to moral development to parenting. He is a noted writer and speaker on topics such as combining your mind, body and spirit, emotional intelligence, sports psychology, making a good brain great, and effective leadership. For over 16 years, Dr. Schinnerer has been  a loving husband to his wonderful wife, and father to 4 beautiful children.  Dr. John may be reached at DrJohn@GuideToSelf.com.  

Posted in guide to self, emotional intelligence, staying calm, happiness, life coach, creativity, forgiveness, realistic optimism, managing stress, dr. john schinnerer, positive psychology | Print | No Comments »

The Marketing Revolution: Connecting Behavior with the Subconscious Mind

27. February 2008 by John Schinnerer.

John Schinnerer, Ph.D.

Director of Client Relations

Emotion Mining Company, Inc.  A scientific revolution is taking place. This revolution has to do with the exponentially increasing understanding of the human mind – the subtle yet profound influence of the subconscious mind on behavior.

Conscious awareness is merely the beginning of the journey into the mind. Neuroscientists agree the vast majority of cognitive processing takes place outside of conscious awareness. Most neuroscientists estimate between 90-95% of mental and emotional activity occur outside our conscious notice. Much of this “underground” activity is automatic and emotional. Much of this commotion is bubbling just below the level of our awareness.

So what’s the fuss? Why care about mental activity that goes on behind the scenes? The main reason is that subconscious activity has a massive impact on our perception of the world, behaviors, buying decisions, and satisfaction with life.

For example, the price of wine influences how people perceive the same bottle of wine. When people are told the price of wine is higher, they subconsciously create the perception of a better tasting wine. The higher priced wine is perceived to have new characteristics such as improved body, taste, and aroma once the price is revealed. Another study showed that brand recognition plays a large role at the subconscious level in influencing how we perceive objects, such as soda. Blind taste tests may show that individuals like drink A over drink B by a large percentage.  However, when those same individuals can see the product packaging and brand, they prefer B. No change in the two drinks, just an awareness of the brand which subtly yet powerfully kicks the subconscious mind into motion and changes the way the taste buds perceive the drink A and drink B.

In addition, conscious self report measures such as polls, surveys and focus groups are poor predictors of consumer behavior. Self report measures are notoriously flawed in their ability to predict future behavior.  The relationship between the stated intention of consumers and their actual buying behavior is low and can even be negative at times. For instance, over 60% of individuals who tested a new kitchen appliance in their home stated they were “likely” or “very likely” to purchase the appliance within three months. Nearly a year later, only 12% of those consumers had actually made the purchase. A follow up survey among those who said they were going to buy but did not discovered that those consumers could not explain the disconnect between their stated intention and their behavior.

What’s more, the subconscious mind works at lightning fast speed. It works so quickly that it can pick up information from the environment that does not even register in the conscious mind. For example, a message which appears for 30 milliseconds (below the threshold of conscious awareness) dramatically affects individuals’ behavior in the near future. An automobile manufacturer tested a new sensor system which could automatically measure the speed of the car as well as the distance of an object directly in the path of the car. When the program discovered a high probability of a crash, it flashed a message on the windshield which stated, “Brake!”

During testing of the program, it was found that the ideal length of time to flash the message on the windshield was 30 milliseconds – so fast that the conscious mind was not even aware of it, but the subconscious mind was. When the message was shown for 30 milliseconds, drivers demonstrated optimum braking ability. When the message was displayed for longer periods of time (so the conscious mind could “see” it), braking performance declined in speed.

These examples are just the beginning of a revolution in marketing, advertising, branding, and improved consumer experiences.

With the birth of new imaging tools and innovative methodologies such as Emotion Mining’s patented approach to get at subconscious thoughts and feelings, the mind is rapidly beginning to reveal its secrets. Similar to exploring the deepest depths of the ocean, we are on the verge of stunning new discoveries.  And, among others, marketing and branding professionals stand poised to reap the benefits. 

Posted in innovative brand research, unique marketing research, new approaches to organizational change initiatives, emotion mining company, emotional intelligence, dr. john schinnerer, creativity, business | Print | 1 Comment »

The Science of Mining Subconscious Emotions for Branding, Marketing and Lasting Organizational Change

4. February 2008 by John Schinnerer.

Emotion Mining - Capturing, Understanding, and Leveraging the Emotions Underpinning Brand Behavior
by Greg Thomas

Deep Diving into Emotions

Wouldn’t it be great if you could really understand your customers? Reach deep down into their psyche and latch onto the right emotional buttons to trigger their buying decisions? Better yet, reach down there and test their reactions to the brand you are putting on the table, your latest promotion, your customer service, or even the new layout of your store. It’s not as far-fetched as it sounds.

In fact, Liam Fahey and Dr. Tom Snyder of Emotion Mining Company are already doing it.

They described their methodology at a ZIBS Forum, sponsored by Zyman Institution of Brand Sciences at the Goizueta Business School at Emory University.

Fahey, an adjunct professor of Strategic Management at Babson College, is Executive Director of Emotion Mining Company. He previously taught at Northwestern and Boston universities. Dr. Snyder, the founder of the company, is a psychiatrist and neuroscientist with MD and PhD degrees from Stanford University. He invented “Emotion Mining” to measure emotions and prioritize the “(subconscious) heart of the matter” in work with his therapeutic clients.

Brands Stimulate Emotions and Emotions Stimulate Brand Behavior

In 1989, when it became evident to Snyder that his methodology could reliably identify how to motivate and inspire new interest and new behavior based on uncovering unappreciated but recognizable feelings and thoughts, he began to consult with major corporations. The results, especially those derived from understanding both customers and employees, provide critical input in determining marketing strategies, advertising programs, and sales approaches.

Fahey joined Snyder to develop a web-based implementation of the methodology to capture emotional responses. The Result? “Emotion Mining” - a versatile research, communication and decision-making system that can be employed to capture and analyze emotional responses to any facet of a brand, including name, icon, attribute, functionality, experience, service, quality, ideal, etc.

Going Beyond the Focus Group

Focus groups have traditionally been used in marketing to explore consumer attitudes. However, focus groups have limitations. Typically people cannot tell you the nuances of the emotions they are feeling, either due to inhibitions in an open setting or simply their inability to adequately describe things or even know what they truly feel.

Emotion Mining uses a different approach; it uncovers hidden - unappreciated but recognizable - subconscious emotions and motivations. Remember Freud’s iceberg from Psychology 101? Our most intense feelings are buried deep beneath the surface. With simple training, subjects can identify and explain these feelings through a set of self-expression steps on their computer screen. The data gathering method only requires the subject to relax and play, and draw and type in a freeform manner.

“All of us know that brands go to the heart of building value for the customer,” says Fahey. “Think of all the major issues concerning brands. The question of emotions always comes into play. What has been needed is a sensitive, rigorous and reliable discipline to plumb emotions.”

“What happens if we don’t understand the emotional context of a brand? What investments might be in peril?” asks Fahey. “We find that companies are largely unaware of the depth and strength of the emotions customers feel about brands - both positive and negative. Do you think this gets the attention of the management team?”

“Surveys, in-depth interviews, and focus groups only take us so far,” says Snyder. “These methods are suitable until we run into something like ‘I think it, but I won’t say it’ or ‘I sense it, but I can’t articulate it’. Emotion Mining overcomes these limitations by providing a way around interpersonal and personality biases, and thus is able to obtain the “heart of the matter”.

Illustration Not Available
Emotion Mining: Amassing Customer Perceptions Above and Below the SurfaceEmotion Mining uses a specially designed “sonargram” to plot the breadth and depth of conscious and subconscious feelings towards a brand or concept. On the right side of the diagram, positive emotions are plotted; the left side plots negative emotions. Externally focused emotions are on the top half, and internally focused are on the bottom. Once all emotional results are plotted on the diagram, the result is a profile of the customer’s emotional feelings about a brand or concept - in fact, why and how to motivate and inspire new interest and new behavior. This information can be used to build emotional “bridges” between customer needs and experiences, and the products developed by a company with its own definable image.

Illustration Not Available

Emotion Mining Sonargram: High Level View

Whole Emotional Understanding: The Golden Fleece

Through Emotion Mining, a marketer not only gains the ability to better understand brands, but also the ability to (1) discern unmet customer needs through deconstructing the customer experience; (2) explain product/service failures, deficiencies, and vulnerabilities - as well as successes, strengths, and advantages - in customer language; and (3) prioritize the emotional, rational, and social aspects of a brand to guide external and internal marketing investments. Sensitive emotion benchmarks can be established to continually improve and inspire brand positioning, product enhancement, and service delivery.

For example, Emotion Mining can aid the sales process by showing what specific emotions are “in play” on both sides of the table. Customers and employees experience different emotions. When employees exhibit a stronger emotional competency in dealing with clients, they greatly improve their productivity. Snyder and Fahey believe that organizations have much to gain in developing an integrated understanding of customer and employee emotions. Interrelated outcomes can be expected on many fronts, including: dramatically improved customer experience, increased sales, enhanced employee job satisfaction, reduced employee turnover, and lowered employee training and development costs.

It is no small feat to uncover and unravel the complexity of emotions that a single customer experiences during a brand experience. Through use of such clarified emotional reference points, brand managers can focus on the gaps in the delivery of brand experience, and use these insights to create new customer value and enhanced financial returns.

For more information…

John Schinnerer, Emotion Mining Company, Inc., johnschinnerer@emotionmining.com, 925-944-3440

Posted in emotion mining company, innovative brand research, unique marketing research, new approaches to organizational change initiatives, emotional intelligence, creativity, business, realistic optimism, dr. john schinnerer, positive psychology | Print | No Comments »

How to Encourage Greater Creativity

7. November 2006 by John Schinnerer.

My apologies for the delay in posting. Things have been crazy at this end. My wife and I have found children ranging in age from 11 to 10 months. Lately the baby has been having some frightening health issues but I think she’ll be fine in the long run.

Also, I’ve been coaching my 9 year old’s soccer team this year. And the team has been simply awesome. They are undefeated after 10 games in the Mustang Soccer league which is highly competitive. And we have not even focused on trying to win. We focus on playing to our potential and putting forth best effort. Before each game, I do a simple sports psychology technique to put them in the ‘zone’ called the Circle of Power. And they go out and tear it up. That’s been a blast.

However, my topic today is creativity and ways that you can encourage your own creativity.

It seems that most geniuses and great artists throughout the past have all had muses. Da Vinci, Picasso, Van Gogh, John Lennon - many of the greats had partners which inspired their creativity. Just like a peacock, men use creative expressions of music, art, poetry, writing and other areas to attract partners.

Psychologists at Arizona State University recently discovered that men - but not women - were significantly more creative and inspired afer picturing a beautiful woman (or a hot date). On the other hand, women were inspired when they imagined the perfect long-term mate. The difference here is one of time. Men were inspired by imagining a short-term, highly attractive date. Women were inspired by imagining a long-term, attractive, emotionally intelligent partner.

Surprisingly, picturing these attractive individuals worked better to spark creativity than did the offer of money to create.

So, it seems that the simple act of thinking about mating, mates and dates turns up those creative juices. Imagine that!

Dr. John Schinnerer
Author, Psychologist, Founder, and Coach
Guide To Self: The Beginner’s Guide To Managing Emotion and Thought

Copyright 2005-2006. Dr. John Schinnerer and Guide To Self, Inc. All rights reserved

Posted in guide to self, emotional intelligence, life coach, creativity, dr. john schinnerer, positive psychology | Print | No Comments »

Guide To Self:The Beginner’s Guide To Managing Emotion and Thought by Dr. John Schinnerer

16. October 2006 by John Schinnerer.

Guide To Self:The Beginner’s Guide To Managing Emotion and Thought
By Dr. John Schinnerer

**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE**

EDITORS: For review copies or interview requests, contact:
Promotional Services Department
Tel: 925-944-3440

Email: pressreleases@authorhouse.com
(When requesting a review copy, please provide a street address.)

Guide to Self: Psychologist Shows Readers How to Manage Emotions, Thoughts in New Book

ALAMO, Calif. – Emotions are the foundation of everything people say, think and do, says John L. Schinnerer, Ph.D., author of the new book, Guide to Self: The Beginner’s Guide to Managing Emotion and Thought (now available through AuthorHouse). In his book, Schinnerer helps readers find greater success and happiness at home and at work through awareness and management of their emotional landscape.

Despite the fact that emotions can vary greatly from person to person, Schinnerer discovered that emotional states can be managed by raising awareness of the current emotions, underlying mood and biological temperament. “Most people are born and die with the exact same temperament because they don’t realize that they have the power to change it to their liking,” he says.

Schinnerer explains to readers how they can change their emotions for the better, supported by peer-reviewed scientific research from top universities throughout the world, he says. Within the science, Schinnerer also incorporates spirituality and ethical awareness into his methods. “There is a growing awareness that spirituality is integral to a person’s well-being,” he says. “A full 85 - 95 percent of Americans believe that spiritual faith and religious beliefs are closely tied to their emotional and mental health, and they’re right!”

With a holistic approach to thoughts, emotions and spirituality, Schinnerer’s step-by-step guide helps readers manage thoughts and feelings to realize their potential, resulting in less suffering and more happiness, he says. “You are far more powerful than you ever dared to dream. You can have a profound impact on your emotions, your thoughts and your happiness,” says Schinnerer.

Schinnerer holds a doctorate in psychology from the University of California at Berkeley and has 12 years of experience in research and practice. He is the founder of Infinet Assessment, a psychological testing company that uses new methodology to evaluate emotional IQ, traditional IQ, ethics, personality traits and knowledge for success in the workplace. Schinnerer is also the president of Guide to Self, a company dedicated to coaching executives and managers on the best practices for emotional management, the single best predictor of success for white collar jobs. He hosted “Guide to Self Radio” in the San Francisco Bay Area for a year, airing more than 200 shows. Guide to Self is Schinnerer’s first book. More information can be found at www.guidetoself.com.

AuthorHouse is the premier publishing house for emerging authors and new voices in literature. For more information, please visit www.authorhouse.com.

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Dr. John Schinnerer, Guide To Self, Inc. copyright 2005-2006.All rights reserved

Copyright 2005-06 Guide To Self, John Schinnerer, PhD.

Posted in Tips to help anxiety, social phobia, nervousness, staying calm, happiness, Infinet Assessment, Guide To Self Beginners Guide To Managing Emotion, morals and values, Ethics, anxiety, emotional intelligence, realistic optimism, forgiveness, positive psychology, Counseling, managing stress, dr. john schinnerer, guide to self, life coach, creativity, Sports Psychology | Print | No Comments »

A mental journey - from thousands of light years outside our universe to earth to human beings to the inner workings of the molecule

15. March 2006 by John Schinnerer.

Radio has been called theater for the mind. Join Dr. John for an intriguing thought experiment which will lead to greater perspective on your life, your troubles, and your joys. Dr. John takes you on a mental journey from thousands of light years outside our universe to earth to human beings to the inner workings of the molecule.

Dr. John has long wanted to attempt this thought experiment on the radio. It’s not perfect yet. But it’s an amazing start. Dr. John Schinnerer hosts Guide To Self radio on KDIA 1640 AM every Monday through Friday at 5 pm in the SF Bay Area.

Guide To Self is sponsored in part by Infinet Assessment, the best in employee testing.
http://www.infinetassessment.com.

Dr. John may be reached for consultation or coaching at DrJohn@GuideToSelf.com or (925) 944-3440.

MP3 File

Copyright 2005-06 Guide To Self, John Schinnerer, PhD.

Posted in emotional mind, consciousness, The human brain, Infinet Assessment, emotional intelligence, creativity, guide to self, dr. john schinnerer | Print | No Comments »

Positive Change on a Global Basis - Possibility or Pipe Dream?

15. March 2006 by John Schinnerer.

Join Guide To Self for an out of the box show. Dr. John talks with Tom Munnecke, founder of Uplift Academy and a former Visiting Scholar at Stanford University, about positive change on a global basis.

Where Dr. John is passionate about helping individuals manage their internal world, their thoughts and feelings, and their immediate relationships, Tom is passionate about helping groups of individuals using the power of the web to create a better world. Idealistic? Absolutely. Foolish? Not a bit.

Tom focuses on a different level or layer of the challenge – the challenge to improve the world on a large scale.

After 30 years designing large scale hospital information systems, Tom Munnecke quit his job as a vice president and chief scientist at a Fortune 500 company. He asked himself, “What is the simplest thing I can do which will have the greatest benefit for humanity?” A 5 year process of travel, study, and meditation lead to the formation of GivingSpace - a think tank to explore innovative ways of using technology in humanitarian activities. In 2003, Tom took a position as a Visiting Scholar at Stanford’s Digital Visions Program during which he shifted his focus from purely charitable giving and philanthropy to a more general notion of humanitarian uplift, which was based on Jon Haidt’s notion of the positive emotion of elevation.

Most recently Tom founded the Uplift Academy, a think tank where visionaries can discuss big ideas about hilanthropy, networking and giving back to society.

Dr. John Schinnerer can be heard daily on Guide To Self Radio on KDIA Monday through Friday at 5 pm in the San Francisco Bay Area. http://www.guidetoself.com.

Guide To Self is sponsored in part by Infinet Assessment, the leader in employee testing ttp://www.infinetassessment.com.

MP3 File

Copyright 2005-06 Guide To Self, John Schinnerer, PhD.

Posted in happiness, Infinet Assessment, Guide To Self Beginners Guide To Managing Emotion, consciousness, emotional intelligence, creativity, business, realistic optimism, dr. john schinnerer, positive psychology | Print | No Comments »

The Happiness Hypothesis - Dr. John Schinnerer Talks to Dr. Jon Haidt

8. February 2006 by John Schinnerer.

Dr. John Schinnerer talks with Dr. Jonathan Haidt, author of “The Happiness Hypothesis: Why the Meaningful Life is Closer Than You Think.” Jon is a professor at the University of Virginia. And his book is about ten Great Ideas. Each chapter is an attempt to appreciate one idea that has been discovered by several of the world’s civilizations: to question it in light of what we now know from scientific research, and to extract from it the lessons that still apply to our modern lives. It is a book about how to construct a life of virtue, happiness, fulfillment, and meaning.

Some of the questions asked include…

You use metaphors effectively to help readers understand complex ideas. Would you tell us about your rider (conscious mind) and the elephant (unconscious, emotional mind) metaphor?

You write that we are all hypocrites and so it’s quite hard for us to stick to the Golden Rule. Why are we so hypocritical?

What about the happiness hypothesis? Where do you think happiness comes from?

What are your thoughts about Nietszche’s statement, “what doesn’t kill me makes me stronger?”

How have our concepts of values and morality changed over the years?

Listen in to Dr. John Schinnerer every Monday through Friday on KDIA 1640 AM in the SF Bay Area. http://www.guidetoself.com.
Duration:27 minutes, 38 seconds

MP3 File

Copyright 2005-06 Guide To Self, John Schinnerer, PhD.

Posted in nature vs. nurture, Guide To Self Beginners Guide To Managing Emotion,