ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGION DISASTER MENTAL HEALTH NEWSLETTER

Learning From The Past and Planning For The Future


MENTAL HEALTH MOMENT
February 15, 2002


"It's time to start living the life we've imagined."
- Henry James


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NOTE:  Effective today, please use the following email address for correspondence:
             GeorgeDoherty@mail2consultant.com

The email  GeorgeDoherty@callatherapist.com will no longer be valid.
Thanks. - George
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SECRET OF A LONG, LONG LIFE

Scientists in Iceland claim to have found the genetic secret of long life: the Methusaleh gene, named 
after the biblical figure reputed to have lived for 969 years. It’s a stretch of DNA that grants healthy 
old age. And they plan to create drugs to do the same. “There is no reason why we cannot do this,” says 
the head of Icelandic biotech firm DeCode Genetics, Karl Stefansson. The firm’s researchers had the advantage 
of Iceland’s birth-and-death records, which date from Viking times, and the country’s “obsession” with 
genealogical records, to compare survival rates. 

“To our surprise,” Stefansson says, “we found old age behaved as if conferred by a simple, single gene.” 

Sounds promising, but for now, Stefansson isn't promising even the healthiest Icelanders will live 969 years. 
As the saying goes, only time will tell... 
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HOBBIES AND SPORTS CONNECT TO GRADES AND BEHAVIOR

The way a 10-year-old child spends free time is closely related to how well adjusted that child is now, 
and will be in two years, according to a recent study by Penn State researchers. Devoting more free time 
to structured and supervised activities--such as hobbies and sports--appears to enhance a child's development. 
Spending more time playing outdoors and hanging out, in contrast, appear to detract from development.
For more, go to:

http://www.cfah.org/hbns/newsrelease/freetime11-19-01.cfm

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TV SPECIAL HIGHLIGHTS BUILDING MUTUAL RESPECT

An upcoming ABC News special on bullying will include comments from
Jeffrey Parker, Penn State associate professor of psychology, who is
continuing to train a new generation of undergraduate students to
teach schoolchildren to communicate, share and resolve conflicts.
Last semester, Parker and his students coordinated such workshops for
middle school children in suburban Johnstown and Altoona, and some of
the activities were filmed by ABC. Each spring, a new Penn State
class works with youths at central Pennsylvania schools. Selected
topics include competition, jealousy, rumors, gossip and respect. The
show, hosted by correspondent John Stoessel, is scheduled to air
Friday, Feb. 15, starting at 10 p.m. on ABC. Check local ABC listings
for exact times and dates. For more information about Parker's
outreach efforts, visit http://www.personal.psu.edu/faculty/j/g/jgp4/.


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TEAMS, TEAMWORK AND LEADERSHIP


Good people are a very valuable asset to any group or organization. However, this is only so if they are well deployed and well
motivated. A good leader is one who pays attention to those who are dedicated to the goals of the organization rather than to 
those who are there just for the glory. It is very de-moralizing for other team members when they feel that they are part of a team 
that treats someone with a 40% absenteeism rate the same as someone who is contributing his/her best each and every day.                         

Developing a good reliable team takes effort on the part of every individual involved. Good leaders need to pay attention and 
listen to a great number of areas.

For example, we always seem to know more about what we don't want people to do than what we do want them to do. It is easier 
to tell people: "Don't make errors or mistakes; don't have accidents; don't be late." These are negative statements. We expect 
people to do these things. But what pro-active behavior can we suggest to make sure that the work at hand gets done. How do 
we recognize a person who is doing all the right things and let him/her know this?

When someone makes mistakes, telling him/her to stop making these mistakes doesn't solve the problem. You are likely to wind 
up with a very unproductive worker. The easiest way to avoid making mistakes is to simply do nothing at all. Pointing out a 
mistake and suggesting methods for correcting it and changes in current behavior may be more effective.

Mistakes are usually a measure of something other than the behavior we are interested in remedying. For example, telling workers 
to discontinue making personal phone calls may stop the practice. However, they may increase the amount of time spent talking 
with other coworkers instead. In other words, we may have eliminated a symptom, but we have not really addressed the need 
or solved the problem. 

In order to identify an undesirable behavior, we must look at and identify what people do rather than what they do not do. Back 
in 1965, Dr. Ogden Lindsley identified something he called the "dead man's test". The test is that "If a dead man can do it, it isn't 
behavior, and you shouldn't waste your time trying to produce it." That seems rather simple.

However, we spend a lot of time and energy tracking quality and safety behaviors and goals that violate the dead man's test. 
Some prime examples include "Zero Defects" and "Days without a lost-time accident". Dead men never have accidents and they 
almost never goof up!

There are quite a few management styles that seem to focus on inactive behavior which leads to no accomplishments.

It is very easy to become comfortable with the "status quo". Efficiency requires work. In order to become more efficient, it is
necessary to continuously review the work of our team to ensure that each and every task is really absolutely necessary. Under 
most conditions, this may not be possible. It may be difficult to encourage creative thinking among team members.

However, there are some ways we can check things out and encourage some creativity. It may also offer an opportunity to identify 
your most valuable team players. Gather your team together and present them with a way out solution to a problem the organization 
is facing. Listen to what they have to say. If they compliment you on a great idea, they might be telling you what they think you 
want to hear. Is that the type of input and problem solving you want from your team?

If they respond with questions which suggest they see some problems with your proposal, you should be prepared to rebutt them. 
Do they persist? Which team member or members persist? How far are they willing to go? Is this an active problem solving group?

REMEMBER, you cannot have an effective team or effective teamwork if people are afraid to talk with you OR if they are unwilling 
to keep you posted on what's going on. Do you want problem solvers or yes people? 

Finally, communication and methods of communication are a very important part of how a good team functions. An example from 
the past might help illustrate how communication can go awry at times. 

While he was FBI Director, J. Edgar Hoover once wrote the following in the margin of a draft letter: "Watch the borders". His 
intention was for his secretary to widen the margins of the letter. Unfortunately, what he got as a result of a rather large 
misinterpretation by overzealous aides was a heightened degree of readiness along the U.S./Mexican border.

One of the most important aspects of good teamwork is the ability to send clear messages. If you want a more adequate and 
quicker response to a situation, it does not come across clearly when we say "Let's do a better job". That's too vague. If we say 
"Let's respond faster", it is a bit clearer, but still not precise enough. However, if we say something like, "We will respond 
to requests within 30 minutes, no matter when they call, 24 hours a day, seven days a week" we are giving a very clear message. 

Leadership involves teamwork. It is important that people feel they are an important member of a team. Negativism and pointing 
out mistakes only is not an effective method of leadership. A positive, proactive approach, pointing out accomplishments and
positive methods for remedying mistakes can help build a very effective team. This plus emphasis on clear, concise messages
designed to improve effective communication can make a team unbeatable. Certainly it will contribute to a high level of morale.

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REFERENCES
To search for books on leaders, leadership and teams, and 
other topics and to purchase them online, go to the following url:

https://www.angelfire.com/biz/odochartaigh/searchbooks.html
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               Contact your local Mental Health Center or   
               check the yellow pages for counselors, psychologists,   
               therapists, and other Mental health Professionals in   
               your area for further information.
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                        George W. Doherty
                        O'Dochartaigh Associates
                        Box 786
                        Laramie, WY 82073-0786

MENTAL HEALTH MOMENT Online: https://www.angelfire.com/biz3/news