Jose Mourinho: Do mind games really work?

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Podcast Notes Key Takeaways Jose Mourinho is known for his psychological approach to games, using mind games in press conferences and interviews to undermine his opposition and motivate his teamA mind game is psychologically manipulative behavior intended to discomfort another person or gain an advantage over themHe uses three mind game tactics to improve his team’s chances of success: signaling, reactants, and reframingSignaling: conveying information, belief, and trust by means of a gesture, an action, or a soundReactants: the motivation to regain something after it has been lost, threatened, or taken away from you Reframing: explaining a situation in a different way to help his players look at a problem from another angleUsing signaling and reactants to influence, persuade, and motivate can work, but not if they’re used endlessly; eventually, they will start to lose their potency or backfire on youBe sure to match signaling with humility; as the leader, it is vital to take responsibility for bad results  When people are told they cannot do something, the forbidden activity becomes more attractive and alluring to people, i.e. if you tell someone they can’t do something, they are far more motivated to do it  Approaches that work for Jose might not work for you; he is a one-of-a-kind operating in a unique setting

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Jose Mourinho is one of the world's most successful football managers. He has consistently turned good teams into the world’s best. He’s done so by signing fantastic players, by mastering tactics, but also by using psychological mind games to motivate his players and undermine his opposition. 

In this episode, I share interviews with Mourinho to pick apart why he used mind games, what he aimed to achieve, and whether or not they really worked.

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