Every day, most of us sit and routinely use computers that are somehow connected to virtually every part of the planet we inhabit. Recently we have viewed events occurring as far away as Mars. And we do all this wirelessly. I suspect most of us do not question it, or even find it all that unusual, that we receive signals over long distances without any connecting wires. In view of this, maybe you won’t find it so unusual that signals also pass between and among human beings interacting with each other.

The fact that human beings somehow wirelessly communicate with each other first grabbed my attention years ago when I attended a comedy club performance. To say the least, on this particular night the comedian was absolutely bombing. After a few moments, my nervous system seemed to resonate in sympathy with his dilemma. In short, I felt a palpable sense of relief when his act finally ended.

On the opposite end of the emotional scale, I initially went to see the movie “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” in a very crowded theater. Later, I watched the same movie in my home. It was as if I was watching a totally different movie. Being in the crowded theater among all the laughter created a very different experience from that of watching the movie alone. Somehow, people in physical proximity to each other telegraph their emotional states to each other.

We often hear about the importance of mental attitude in the business environment … and in life. I think this element of wireless communication among humans has much to do with the influence of attitude on interactions. If performers and members of a crowd can somehow telegraph their emotional states to each other, it would seem logical that this would also go on between and among people interacting in the business world.

I have since discovered a few books and articles on a topic referred to as limbic resonance and limbic regulation (limbic having to do with the parts of the brain and nervous system that drive emotions).

Here’s the bottom line: when two people interact, their attitude and emotional state strongly influences the outcome of the interaction. For example, if you are the boss and you walk in the office one morning using voice tone, words and body language that telegraph sadness, anxiety or anger you may be setting your workgroup up for, shall we say, a less than productive day. And what about a salesperson who does this when they interact with a prospect? A sale is not likely to happen in this situation.

In this short article I can only scratch the surface of this topic. Want to know more? Get a copy of “A General Theory of Love,” a book about the science of human emotions and biological psychiatry by Thomas Lewis, Fari Amini and Richard Lannon. Don’t let the word love in the title hold you back. This book contains some valuable information for business professionals. And watch your limbic transmissions!

Chris Crouch is CEO of DME Training and Consulting and author of several books on improving productivity. Contact him through www.dmetraining.com.