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Developed by John
Grinder & Richard Bandler in 1972, based on the
work of Milton Ericson and Fritz Perls the originator
of Gestalt. The Logical Levels Model was created by
Robert Dilts
Neuro-Linguistic
Programming, or NLP as it is more popularly known, is
a series of techniques and procedures for coding human
behaviour. NLP aids a coach's understanding of what
people do and how they do it to perform excellently.
It gives structure to the mind's sensory experiences.
Some consider NLP to be the science that explains and
influences your behaviour. Others believe it to apply
NLP well is an art.
I
have outlined the main techniques below. I use NLP with
clients to improve their communication skills, meet
their personal development needs or achieve accelerated
learning. It is powerful because it draws it's techniques
from the best of other schools of thought.
Neuro
relates to the nervous system through which our
experience is processed via our senses - visual, auditory,
kinaesthetic (feeling), olfactory (smell) and gustatory
(taste).
Linguistic
relates to language and non-verbal communication through
which our neural representations are coded, ordered
and given meaning. They include pictures, sounds, feelings,
tastes, smells and words (self-talk).
Programming
is the ability to discover and use the programmes that
we run (our communication with others and ourselves)
to achieve a desired outcome.
THE
THREE LEGS OF NLP
NLP is said to rest on
three important ideas, "filters" or "behavioural
frames".
1.
OUTCOMES (What do
you want to have happen ?) - to know what
you really want and how you know when you have it. The
more positive and specific you can be, the better are
your chances of success. See Well
Formed Outcomes
2.
SENSORY ACUITY (What
do your senses tell you ?)
- to see/hear/feel the information presented
to your senses and to process it meaningfully so it
is seen as useful feedback from which one can then respond
more effectively. The ability to notice (observe) and
be curious about whether what you are doing is getting
you what you really want - your outcome.
Sharpening
your powers of observation means using all your senses
together. Especially your least preferred representational
system. One of NLP's presuppositions is:
The mind and body are one system - if you are happy
you smile.
We process all information through our senses - What
does a wrinkled forehead mean? You need reinforcement
from other senses or a pattern repeated to know what
stimulated it.
Matching
a person's external behaviour to their internal workings
is called calibration. To listen carefully is not
enough, you need to look for iconic and metaphoric gestures
(unedited thinking). To accurately recognise another
person's state you can learn to calibrate (recognise
different states) through non-verbal signals such as
breathing, skin colour. muscular tension, posture, swallowing,
blink rate, eye accessing cues, voice tone and tempo,
heart rate. We need to learn to notice and direct where
our attention goes. The more you practice calibration,
the better you will become at establishing rapport
with others.
The
process of elicitation will guide someone into
a state. To elicit an emotional state you would ask
them to remember a time in the past when they were experiencing
that particular emotion. The more expressive the request
the more expressiveness will be elicited. To put someone
in a calm resourceful state, soothing words and slow
movements are needed. The words must be congruent with
your body language and voice tone. The person must be
'associated' in the experience or situation, not observing
from the outside-in.
3.
BEHAVIOURAL FLEXIBILITY (What
else can you do ?) - your ability to do something
different. This requires the ability suspend assumptions
and create new possibilities and choices, even when
you may feel stuck. It's about asking 'how' else you
could get what you want rather than getting bogged down
in 'why' questions. Behaviour has patterns and we repeat
the them whether they work for us or not.
Ashby's
Law of Requisite Variety says, that part of the system
that has the most flexibility has the most control.
Getting locked into one way of thinking or acting suggests
you have no choice. You are stuck in your box of always
behaving the same way, day after day - but you can do
anything.
Three
of the presuppositions of NLP are:
Having choice is better than no choice
People make the best choice they can at any one time
People work perfectly - they are not broken or wrong.
They are xxxjust doing the
best they can with their limited map of the world.
The
aim is to help them draw a new map with different thoughts
and assumptions about what's possibe.
THE
PRESUPPOSITIONS OF NLP
It is important to behave
as if the following are true.
1.
xxPeople respond to their
map of reality and not to reality itself
2. xxHuman
behaviour is purposeful - it has intention
3. xxModelling
successful performance leads to excellence
4. xxThere is no
failure, only feedback
5. xxThe unconscious
mind is benevolent and compassionate
6. xxPeople have
all the resources they need to succeed. There xxxxxxare
no unresourceful people, only unresourceful states
7. xxPeople make
the best choice they can at the time
8. xxHaving choice
is better than no choice
9. xxEvery behaviour
has a positive intention - even negative ones
10. All behaviour is appropriate in some context
11. The mind, body and spirit affect each other
in one system
12. People work perfectly in their current 'way
of being'
13. The meaning of your communication
is in the response
14. What others can do, you can learn by modelling
15. We process all information through our senses
16. If you want to understand - act (doing is
knowing)
17. If you do what you always did, you get what
you always got.
18. Experience in and of itself is neutral -
we give it meaning
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WELL
FORMED OUTCOMES OR GOALS
A
way of thinking about and expressing an outcome which
makes it both achievable and verifiable. The model
for change is to more from Present State to Desired
State. To do this you need to know where you are now
and where you want to get to. This requires resources
PRESENT
STATE + RESOURCES = DESIRED STATE
Start
with
CHUNKING - UP
or DOWN

Chunking
is a way of getting at the size of the issue being addressed.
Some people like to "chunk-up" to get an overview
or see their goal as part of a bigger picture. Small
chunkers like to get at the detail first, before they
consider what it all adds up to. You can also chunk
sideways or think laterally about something similar.
For
example:
Chunk up - appearance. Clothes might be an example
Chunk down - socks. A specific type of clothing
Chunk sideways - books. Also available in an
Oxfam Shop
Am I considering the right
chunk size ?
A
goal or outcome is well formed when:
1.
It is expressed in the positive
We often know what we don't want, but this is negative.
Goals need to be expressed in the positive. To know
it's positive, the negative has to be understood.
2. You can describe it in
sensory terms
How will you know when you have achieved your goal ?
What will your sensory (see, hear, feel, smell, taste)
evidence be ?
3.
It's under your control (action on your own part)
What will you do ? Not relying on others to do something.
Being proactive to find out what you need to know, do
or understand to make the change happen.
4. The context is clear
(SMART - specific, measurable, achievable,
relevant and timebound)
What exactly do you want ? When do you want it ? Where
do you want it ? Who else wants it ? Chunk it down into
stages - short and long term.
5. The resources are defined
and their source identified
How will you get what you need (internally and externally)
such as physical, skill based and behavioural resources
6. It is ecological in terms
of time taken, costs incurred, consequences or the impact
on your identity
What could you lose by achieving your goal ? How could
the benefits be protected ? How might others be affected
?
Have
a Solution Focus
By
setting a desired outcome in the future you create a
problem in the present. Instead of analysing the problem
use it as a platform to assess what actions would count
towards achieving the desired state. The resources are
the small, positive actions you can take to effectively
eliminate the barriers and resistance by replacing the
present state behaviours, thoughts and feelings with
those required of the desired state.

Click
here to find out more
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FRAMING
& REFRAMING
Framing
is about setting a context or way of perceiving something
as in Outcome Frame, Rapport Frame, Backtrack Frame,
etc. The way you
think that you
can change the way you
interpret your experience.
Reframing
changes the frame of reference round a statement or
behaviour that gives it another meaning.
Using
a Problem Frame
What's the problem as you see it ?
How long have you had it ?
Why do you think you have this problem ?
Who is to blame for this prblem ?
Why haven't you solved it yet do you think ?
Using
a Solution Frame
What do you want to have ?
How will you know when you have it ?
What resources do you already have which you can use
to achieve the desired outcome ?
When have you succeeded in doing something similar ?
What is the next step as you see it ?
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PERCEPTUAL
POSITIONING
The
viewpoint we are aware of at any moment. This approach
is useful where there is a relationship to explore,
especially when you find someone a 'difficult person'.
It's about looking at the relationship from three points
of view, you will gain a greater understanding of what
it is like for the other person. You may decide to change
what you have been doing.
The
process is about gathering information from three perspectives
or positions:
First Position - as themselves
Second Position - as the other person
Third Position - as a detached observer
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COMMUNICATION
AND LANGUAGE
There
is an NLP preposition that states:
The meaning of your communication is the response you
get
There
are no failures in communication, only feeedback.
You can learn from every experience. If you are not
getting the response that you want, do something different.
You
cannot not communicate. Even if you say nothing there
will be a response. This response will have an effect
on you.
When
you try
to do something you see it as being outside
your control. It's an intention, not a commitment to
act. If you have control over the resopurces needed
then trying is likely tolead to success.
Be
careful to differentiate between AND and BUT. Sometimes,
replacing but with and
can make both ststements true at the same time. You
can have qualifications for a job AND not have the necessary
technical knowledge.
It
is sometimes helpful to assume that you already have
the resources you need to change. For example, "I
know you can't do it, but if
you could, then
what would it be like".
TAG
QUESTIONS
Tag questions are a way of requesting an action or
a verbal response, in such a way that you always pace
the client's experience. For example, "You
can recall a time when you were creative, can't you
?" The pattern is to
give permission, expect a positive response or show
confidence
EMBEDDED
COMMANDS
An embedded command is an idirect suggestion, a way
of presenting a command covertly in order to avoid resistance.
For example, "The last
group I taught this to said you can learn this pattern
really easily". You
can also reframe as an embedded question. For
example, "I was wondering
if you can complete this report by the end of next week."
Use
intonation to stress "you" and "complete
this report".
CIRCLE
OF INFLUENCE

The
Circle of Concern
is filled with the have's:
'I'll be happy when I have my
house paid off.'
'If only I had a more patient spouse...'
'If only I had better employees/co-workers...'
'If only I had a boss who wasn't so demanding...'
The
Circle of Influence is filled with the be's:
'I can be more patient...'
'I can be a better employee...'
'I can be more wise...'
When
you listen to other people, make promises or commitments,
it is useful to notice which circle they are in - influence
or control. NLP works on what you can control, not you
hopes. Goals must therefore be turned into things you
can actually do to get you there.
You
can adopt a reactive focus. Any time you think the problem
is 'out there,' that thought is the problem. You can
empower what's out there to control you. The change
eergy is then coming from the outside-in
- what's out there has to change before you can change.
The
proactive approach is to generate change energy from
the inside-out
to approach things differently. By doing something different
you influence what changes out there - you can be more
resourceful, be more diligent, be a better listener
and be a better leader of change.
PERSONAL
EDITING
Editing is the process of correcting or revising
something to make it more suitable. Personal editing
deals with emotional states and how we use our attention
within those states. If we change our emotional
state then our focus of attention will change. We can
redirect where our atttention goes.
Using
the table below work horizontally. Read the bold
letters out loud and briefly raise your right hand for
R, your left hand for L and both hands for T as indicated
by the letters below.
1.
Select a proble or situation where you want to increase
the quality of your experience.
2.
Hold this in mind and go through the chart spelling
out words with related movements
R
= Lift right arm and left leg together
L = Lift left arm and right
leg together
T - Lift both arms and
bend knees togther
3.
After 5 minutes, think about the problem or situation
and notice what changes in your experience of how you
perceive it or respond to it.
|
A
|
B
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C
|
D
|
E
|
F
|
|
R
|
L
|
T
|
R
|
L
|
R
|
| x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
|
G
|
H
|
I
|
J
|
K
|
L
|
|
T
|
L
|
R
|
T
|
T
|
R
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| x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
|
M
|
N
|
O
|
P
|
Q
|
R
|
|
L
|
L
|
T
|
R
|
L
|
L
|
| x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
|
S
|
T
|
U
|
V
|
W
|
X
|
|
R
|
L
|
R
|
L
|
R
|
L
|
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FEEDBACK
Without
feedback we cannot learn what needs to change. As
one NLP presupposition states:
There is no failure, only feedback
Failure
is just information about how you did not get the result
you intended. It represents an opportunity to learn
and do something different next time.
Failure
is not real. It is a linguistic label we put on what
happens when we do not achieve our outcome. One aspect
of this may be a negative state. Considering it as feedback
is more useful because it leads us towards a positive
state. What are you going to do about it ?
GIVING
FEEDBACK
Remember when giving feedback to use the feedback sandwich.
Something they did well
Something they could have done better
Something else they did well
Make
sure it is sensory based, so that they know specifically
what you are suggesting they might change.
Criticism
is hurtful. Feedback is helpful.
For
example, if you use the feedback sandwich . . . .
You were very smartly dressed and that made a good impression
I began to lose interest when you spoke with a monotone
voice
You completed your presentation exactly on time
GETTING
FEEDBACK
When
getting feedback it is as well to accept it and say
thank you. You can then go away and reflect on it. There
is learning in every experience should you be willing
to look for it and reflect on it.
FEEDBACK
IN ORGANISATIONS
Continuous improvement requires feedback to be fast.
"Your
ability to learn faster than your competitors may be
the only sustainable competitive advantage" Arie
De Geus
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TIME
Time
helps us organise our experiences. Without time there
would be no cause and effect or planning. We code
time and use it to store our memories in a linear way.
We talk about the 'arrow of time' going in one direction
- it cannot be turned back. Yet we have to distinguish
between a real time event and a made-up event (in the
past or the future).
BELIEFS
ABOUT TIME LINES
One event follows another - linear time
An all at once event tat is happening now (manana)
Time lines (NLP notion)
- What does time feel like ?
If,
on reflection, if you see time going from left to right
as past, present and future you are going THROUGH
TIME. If any part of your timeline goes into your
body from past behind and future in front, you are IN
TIME.
If
the past dominates it is infront and the future feels
as if it is out of sight behind, then future planning
will be difficult. If someone is not interested in what
happened yesterday,and can only see the future in front
of them, they are IN TIME.
How
do you see time ?
Take things as they come
Now is as good a time as any
Set tight deadlines
I am flexible and can deal with chaos
Work time and play time are the same to me
15 minutes late is reasonably on time
Moving
problems into the past with a question can help the
client dissociate from the memory and reduce the strength
of emotion associated with the event. For example:
Client:
I am having a problem with my best friend
Therapist: So, you have
been having a problem with your best friend
Words
that end in 'ing' are more compelling because they generate
movies. Static words may go too far. For example the
Therapist could say "So, you have had a problem
with your best friend". It presumes you have solved
the problem or have all the resources to do so. For
example: What would it be like when you have made those
changes, now ? You are inviting someone to adjust their
time line.
TIME
AND SPACE
PLACING
A GOAL IN THE FUTURE
Compare now with the past
and the future and create a line on the floor in front
of you. Step onto the timeline on NOW. Walk back
into the PAST as far as you set your goal in
the FUTURE. Think back to how much you have changed
in the PAST to get to where you are NOW. Certain experiences
may come to mind.
Now
come off your timeline and make a dissociated picture
of yourself achieving your goal. See yourself as you
wish to be.
Now
associate into the picture. What do you see, hear and
feel ? This is the Future Perfect in the Solution Focus
- see above. Adjust the submodalities until you get
the best feeling b making the picture bigger, brighter
or more colourful.
When
satisfied, come out and dissociate. Now put the dissociated
picture into your timeline. Look back from this position
towards the present. What steps do you need to take
to make this picture a reality ? What are the likely
obstacles that could stop you and how will you get round
them ? What has happened between then and now. Walk
back to now
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ASSOCIATION
& DISSOCIATION
When
you experience something through you own eyes, as if
you were there, you are said to be associated
with that experience. You are fully yourself and you
see, hear and feel what is going on around you. It is
your own personal experience and includes all your feelings
at the time - reliving the moment. The eyes will go
to the right as you try and remember what you saw, heard
and felt.
You
are dissociated when you can see yourself doing
something. It is a bit like an out of body experience,
or watching a video where you are one of the people
in it. Any feelings are about what you see and hear.
They are not derived from the experience itself. It's
as if you are seeing yourself being terrified on a roller
coaster, but NOT feeling it first hand. You are merely
responding to observing yourself being terrified. When
dissociated the eyes will go more to the left as you
attempt to recreate the experience.
People
can often deal with difficult situations by dissociating
themselves so they do not actually feel the fear or
the pain because they just stepping out of their body
and observing themselves having the experience.
ANCHORING
Linked to submodalities (scroll down)
An
anchor is a representation that triggers another representation.
The presupposition is that all experiences are represented
as some combination of our five senses. When stimulus
and response are connected we say they are anchored.
This
is a process by which a specific stimulus is used to
connect to, or trigger, a desired emotional response.
Anchors can occur naturally or can be set up intentionally.
For example, when you hear a fire alarm (anchor) you
leave the building (response). Music helps you recall
feelings related to an event. This is auditory. They
can also be visual, emotional - negative or positive.
See a spider and feel the fear.
The
four keys to anchoring are that it needs to be:
Timed just as the state peaks
Unique and distinctive
Easy to repeat naturally
Linked to a state that is clean and completely re-experienced
Having
elicited and calibrated a desired state, how can it
be switched on and used as a resource in the present.
It's about being resourceful in the moment. It's the
bottom-line of professionalism - to turn it on and off
as the situation requires.
To
re-experience a strong emotion we must trigger an association
from the past into the present. An alarm clock is an
example of an anchor that triggers an emotional response.
Anchoring a desired emotional state can be achieved
in a three step process.
1.
You decide on a highly intense, clear emotion, sound
and sight you want to recall and
link it to a desired state of mind i.e. confidence
2.
You put yourself into that state and at its peak, link
it with a part of the body you can touch. a word, etc.
3. You associate that state with the specific trigger
you have created.
I
use this approach with clients, enabling them, for example,
to achieve goals far beyond their initial beliefs. The
anchor can be visual, auditory or kinaesthetic. It's
a skill that has to be practiced. As Aldous Huxley observed
"Experience is not what happens
to you, it's what you do with what happens to you."
You
can anchor a range of desired states and you can "fire"
them in chains. To get rid of negative emotions you
can collapse the anchors that triggered them. Anchoring
can bring emotional freedom by escaping from the tyranny
of past negative experiences to create a more positive
future.
SELF-ANCHORING
This is a process that enables you to re-access a chosen
resourceful state whenever you wish.
You identify the resource you want i.e. confidence
Choose the specific anchors (non-obvious gestures or
touches, words or visual images)
Think back to you best experience in the resourceful
state. Ensure you are associated and represent it fully
in VAK (vocally, audibly and kinaesthetically)
As the experience reaches its peak, set the anchor,
and hold the state for a few moments before breaking
state.
Repeat the prvious two steps a few times
Test the anchor by firing it and ensure you have full
access to the chosen resource. Repeat steps if necessary.
What will be the first thing I see/hear/feel that will
remind you to fire this anchor.
TIP:
Use it or lose it
ANCHORING
OTHERS
The same process as above can
be used to anchor another person and enable them to
access a desired state - say by shaking hands, a smile
or a tone of voice.
Think carefully why you would want to do this so it
is used appropriately.
COLLAPSING
ANCHORS
This is used to neutralise an unwanted negative anchor.
You can break the stimulus-response link so that it
doesn't work anymore. You will need to put a more resourceful
response in its place. This is a useful process for
replacing a habit that's not working for you with one
that will.
What current state or habit or mood isn't working for
you ?
What would be a more resourceful state to replace it
with ?
Decide on the anchor you are going to use
Describe what it's like to experience the undesired
state. What does it look/feel/sound like to you ?
As the experience reaches its peak - fire the anchor
Repeat the previous two steps and few times
Break state
Test the anchor by firing it
Now
access the resourceful state and anchor it as above.
Fire the anchors alternately a few times so you can
see the person changing between the two states.
Holding
the resourceful or preferred state anchor, simultaneously
apply the unwanted state anchor. Break state for 20
seconds and fire the unwanted state anchor. It should
not work. If it does you need to stack a chain of more
resourceful anchors. Future pace (see below) by asking
when they would have expected the unwanted state to
be triggered. Notice their non-verbal behaviour as they
reply to check if the unwanted state has been neutralised.
CHANGE
PERSONAL HISTORY
Human experience only exists in the present moment.
The past exists as memories and to remember these we
have to re-experience them in some way in the present.
The future only exists as expectations or fantasies,
again created in the present.
But
what actually happen can be, and often is, changed by
giving it a different meaning - which affects our behaviour.
Jealousy is generated, not from what actually happened,
but from constructed images that we believe happened.
We get trapped in our well rehearsed behaviours. "Why
do I keep doing this ?" It's as if you were in
a trance that you cannot break out of. See Enneagrams
It's
as if we need to "break out of our box" and
move from our comfort zone into the change zone. To
change whilst in the box will only achieve first-order
change or a quick-fix. Second-order change
requires you to transform the inner experience so profoundly
that you perceive the world quite differently. Small
changes can lead to big results. See Emergence.
To
achieve sustainable and fundamental change you have
to get out of your box and change the way you see yourself
(from the inside-out),
the world around you (from the outside-in),
your relationship with others (from the bottom-up)
and your reverence for authority (from the top-down).
See the 4-WAY Model below.
FUTURE
PACING
Experiencing a situation in advance
is called future pacing. This is achieved through using
your imagination with the the resources you have, and
can experience in advance how you wish it to be. Rehearsing
a task in your mind before you do it - like replaying
a video of your behaviour working just as you want it
to.
Future
pacing tests if the work you have done in the present
changes the action when a new situation occurs. It's
about giving the brain strong positive images to work
with.
NEW
BEHAVIOUR GENERATOR
We hold on to memories of our experiences. This is fine
when everything went well. But you can lay down a new,
more beneficial memory.
You
create an experience of what you should have done better
and how that would have made the event more successful.
Next time you are in a similar situation you can benefit
from recalling what you wished you had done last time.
This form of reflection lies at the heart of learning
what you would do differently next time.
What did you see, hear and feel happened ?
Replay it as a movie with a sound track as if you were
there
Now dissociate and step out of the movie
If you could do it again what would you do differently
?
Be a movie editor. What would you change ?
What positive impact is it having ?
Now step back into the new movie and feel the difference
What will you do to remind you to behave in the new
way ?
You
can apply this to anything you do. A 'phone call, a
conversation with a work colleague, even an email.
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MIND
STATES
also see Modeling - scroll down
Your
state is how you feel, your mood. It is the sum total
of all neurological and physical processes within an
individual at any moment in time. The state we are in
affects our capabilities and interpretation of experience.
Resourceful states hold the key to outstanding performance.
They are 'states of mind'. They involve a shift from
our present state to a more resourceful desired state.
The goal becomes one of bridging the gap. This may involve
acquiring resources , gaining skills or changing how
you feel. It may also involve motivation and energy.
For
example, Robert Dilts explains how Conceptual Modeling
follows conceptual rules such as:
The principles and beliefs that guide behaviour, such
as the presuppositions of NLP
Using states of mind to access unconscious processes
Encouraging the use of self-organising processes
Acquiring familiarity with information through self-managed
learning
FILTERS
After filtering sensory input,
we create our internal representation. This leads us
into a state or 'way of being'. The state does not arise
directly from the sensory input, it comes only from
the filtering that creates our internal representation
of reality.

A
"Way of Being" is a state of mind that is
all the thoughts (expressed as language), emotions and
physiology we express at any one moment in time. It
is what makes us human.
NLP
talks about the TEA Model that combines:
Thoughts (internal representations)
Emotions (state)
Actions (behaviour)
Other
filters include:
Meta-Programmes
that we apply at a higher logical level, a relationship
that lies above, beyond or about something else. They
lie within our unconscious and determine what we pay
attention to and the generalisations we maintain. One
person might be happy in a situation that makes another
person sad, and vice versa. You may have to call on
inner resources to help you into a more positive state
of mind. Much depends on how you perceive things.
Changing
your state involves:
Deciding what you want
Doing something to achieve it
Noticing what's happening
Being flexible and adaptive
Values
are how we decide what is right or wrong and are arranged
in a hierarchy. They vary with context and always generate
a kinaesthetic response.
Beliefs
are statements about our internal generalisations -
our world view. We can hold a belief without any sensory
evidence.
Attitudes
are collections of values and beliefs around a subject.
We are usually conscious of our attitudes.
Memories
are who we are.
Decisions
or choices that we have made in the past affect our
entire lives. They help create beliefs, values and attitudes.
Sometimes we reevaluate our decisions.
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REPRESENTATIONAL
OR SENSORY SYSTEMS
& SUBMODALITIES
A
representational system is how NLP codes information
in our minds in one or more of the five sensory systems.
All experience is coded in our minds in some combination
of the five senses: seeing, hearing, feeling, smelling,
tasting. These are called modalities. By re-coding 'negative'
experiences with the submodalities of corresponding
'positive' experiences, you can change the way you think.
Making the pictures smaller, further away, dimmer, black
and white, will make them less compelling.
Submodalities
are distinctions made within each representational system,
the smallest building blocks of our thoughts. To
elicit the submodalities, ask: (assume the client can
do it)
Visualise the scene and describe what you see
What did you hear ?
What did you feel at the time ?
What else did you experience ?
Submodalities
are distinctions made in each representational system.
They are the qualities of your internal representations
of reality - the smallest building blocks of thought.
The
critical submodalities are the ones that make a difference.
a change in a critical submodality will induce change
in other submodalities and in the meaning of the representation.
Visual
submodalities
Think of a past experience that had a significant visual
content - for example looking at a magnificent view.
Elicit the visual submodalities of the memory in predicates
such as: location, distance, size, colour, movement,
framed, brightness, focus, etc.
Auditory
submodalities
Think of a past experience that had a significant auditory
content - for example, attending a concert. Elicit the
auditory submodalities of the memory in predicates
such as: loudness, variation, clarity, speed,
rhythm, changeability, etc.
Kinaesthetic
submodalities
Think of a past experience with a strong emotional content
- for example, a time when you were energetic, balanced
or relaxed and comfortable using predicates
such as: movement, size, shape, intensity, duration,
pressure, etc.
There
are also Olfactory (smelling) and Gustatory
(tasting) submodalities.
Analogue
Submodalities are ones on a sliding scale, such
as brightness or volume. Digital submodalities
are either one thing or another, such as colour/black
or white, rhythm or constant. Critical submodalities
are the ones that when changed make the biggest
difference.
Discover
your learning style. Undertake a short questionnaire
at:
http://www.vark-learning.com
EYE
ACCESSING CUES
Eye movement patterns indicate
which representational system is being used. The eye
flicks from one to the other. A person's preferred representational
system is the position the eyes settle in when thinking
and talking. It will tell you if the information is
being remembered, constructed or felt.
More
specifically, if you are right-handed, you may have
noticed the following (for people who are left handed,
interchange left and right in the following text):
VR
-
eyes up and to your left. This is about something you
have seen before and hence you remembered it - visual
remembered
VC - eyes up and
to your right. This is about something that you have
not seen before and hence - visually constructed
AR - eyes on the
horizontal plane to your left. This is about something
you have heard before - auditory remembered
AC - eyes on the
horizontal plane to your right. This is about something
you have not heard before - auditory constructed
Ad - eyes down and
to the left. This is a about your self talk - auditory
digital
K
- eyes down and to the right. This is about your
feelings - kinesthetic

Note:
The above eye patterns are how your eyes would move
if you are right-handed. They are the opposite for left-handed
people.
Click
here to test yourself
STRATEGIES
A
strategy is a successful recipe. You need to know what
the ingredients are (representational systems), how
much of each to use and their quality (submodalities)
and the correct sequence of steps. We all use slightly
different strategies for learning - processing information
and making sense of it. We have strategies for remembering,
strategies for observing and strategies for creating
ideas. See the DISNEY CREATIVE
STRATEGY.
The
way the eyes move will often show a preference for visual,
auditory or kinaesthetic cues. This is a person's Lead
System. It's like a doorway to the mind. For example,
a person may use a visual door to get in, but once inside
will process information using other submodalities.
The Output System is like the exit door, which
is a person's preference for expressing the results
of their thinking about something.
PREDICATES
These are 'process' words, such as verbs and adjectives
which indicate qualities or attributes. These words
too can indicate which sensory system is being used.
A visual person might lots of "I
see what you mean". An auditory person
might say a lot of "that
sounds interesting" and a kinaesthetic
person might say "help
me grasp that idea"
Other
clues lie in how we use our bodies in posture, hand
movements, breathing and voice tonality. For example:
Visual
- head up, breathing high in chest with a fast and high
pitched voice. Use words such
as look, picture, notice, see, show, focus, etc.
Auditory - swaying or head tilted to one side,
breathing mid-range and voice more rhythmic and melodic.
Use words such as ask, clear,
discuss, feedback, say, sound, tell, vocal, etc.
Kinaesthetic - rounded body with head down, breathing
from the abdomen with a slower, deeper voice. They gesture
a lot. Using words such as concrete,
expand, grasp, handle, hold, move, press, scrape, sit,
solid, stand, touch, warm, etc.
SYNESTHESIA
This is the process of linking the senses involuntarily.
The information from one sense is simultaneously accompanied
by another - they don't just overlap. There is no Lead
System. Numbers also have colours, shapes have tastes,
etc.
Creativity
involves linking different senses - it makes learning
possible. It is often associated with genius.
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RAPPORT
SKILLS
The
process of establishing and maintaining a relationship
of mutual trust and understanding between two or more
people, and the ability to generate responses from another
person. The principles that underpin rapport involve
the ability to be like someone else. This is because
we open up to people we feel are most like ourselves.
One
sign of rapport between people in conversation is that
they tend to adopt the same physical posture and mannerisms.
This is known as mirroring.
Good
rapport can involve matching the speed, volume and tone
of voice of the other person. Facial expressions and
mirrored words can play an important part too. The best
communicators match without thinking and know when they
deliberately mismatching as well to get an effect. It
can take practice to make sure it doesn't look contrived.
Following
the other persons pace and pattern of movement can enable
you to lead them into a more open and receptive mental
state. An enthusiastic and authentic positive attitude
is also important. This is called congruence.
RAPPORT
WITH METAPHOR
People use metaphors to explain things that need to
communicate a deeper or more meaningful level, but have
difficulty in finding the words. Rapport can be greatly
enhanced by asking . . . .
"And . . . . is like what ?"
"And is there anything else when . . . . ?"
"And what kind of . . . . is that . . . . .?"
For
more on this questioning technique see Clean
Language
PACING
Gaining and maintaining rapport
wityh another person over a period of time by joining
them in their model of the world. You can pace beliefs
and ideas as well as behaviour. Future Pacing involves
mentally rehearsing an outcome to ensure that the desired
behaviour will occur.
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META-PROGRAMMES
In
addition to having your own sensory preferences, we
have different thinking strategies or styles of working.
For example, some of us are generally more optimistic,
while others are pessimistic. When we use these predispositions
for our thinking we can adopt very different macro-strategies
that NLP calls meta-programmes used for sorting things,
paying attention or processing information in order
to change the patterns.
Meta-programmmes
get at HOW we are are thinking about something
rather than WHAT we are thinking. How we interpret
a passing comment, account for differences in people,
spend our time or construct a letter are all meta-programme
activities.
Meta-programmes
can undermine effectiveness. What is it doing to you
? How is it affecting your performance ? What effect
would it have on aspects of your life ? In what type
of experiences do you use the meta-programme ?
META-PROGRAMMES
& DISTORTIONS
MOVING
TOWARDS or AWAY FROM
The programme we have is either trying to move us towards
something pleasurable and desirable that we want, or
away from something painful and undesirable that we
don't want. We are driven by our wants.
INNER
or OUTER (Cause
and Effect)
Wants can be about pleasing ourselves (inner-driven)
or pleasing others (outer-driven). Knowing this enables
you to know how best to support and motivate someone.
MATCHING
and MISMATCHING
Some people need to feel connected and look for what
they have in common, whilst others notice the differences
or the odd one out.
POSSIBILITY
or NECESSITY
Some
people are motivated by what is necessary, rather than
by what is possible. They do things because they feel
they have to, rather than because they want to or see
the possibilities in a course of action.
HEADLINE
or DETAIL
Some people are more concerned with having and getting
that they are not attracted to the detail. Others need
to know everything there is to know about something
before they make a decision.
Other
kinds of Meta-Programmes involve what are called 'life
content' choices. These include personality models and
thinking styles. See the 4-Quadrant
Model. Some people are doers and don't see the need
to reflection or know lots of stuff. Some just don't
like to miss out, they are the 'go getters' who are
driven by the need to have or get something that could
benefit them. For
others, they need to reach a state of 'being' rather
than getting, having, knowing, relating or doing.
All
manner of communication blockages relate to differences
in the way meta-programmes operate from person to person.
When you understand how a person thinks - how they structure
their perceptions - you can get into their map of reality.
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LEVELS
OF COMPETENCE & CONSCIOUSNESS
or steps for learning
Most
of our behaviour takes place unconsciously - so we don't
have to think about what we are doing. This applies
to all habits. We start from a point of ignorance and
achieve a state where we do things without thinking.
It's like being on automatic pilot.
To
reach the level of unconscious competence we have to
travel through three other levels on our learning journey.

From
a state of ignorance where you are just not aware of
what you don't know, your awareness is raised with new
information and you learn something new. You become
conscious of your ability to do something differently,
but it does not become a habit until you practice the
new behaviour or skill without thinking.
Competence
comes from regular repetition over a 30 day period.
Unconscious competence allows you to do several things
at once and frees the mind to look for nuances and possible
improvements. You can learn more strategic learning
skills and perform even better. When you lose your flow
you quickly revert back to self-conscious incompetence.
The
quickest way to unconscious competence is to model your
behaviour on others and practice the skills until they
become automatic.
Many
in NLP circles believe that unconscious -competence
has to come before conscious-competence, because the
unconscious has to learn something before the conscious
mind can know it. To welcome ignorance and value it
is a difficult idea for some people to deal with, but
it vital for the modeling process.
THE
UNCONSCIOUS MIND
- INTUITION
When we decide at a conscious level to 'sleep on a problem',
we assign to our unconscious mind the task of considering
all the issues and variables involved and bringing to
our conscious awareness its best advice and conclusions.
We call this our intuition and must learn to trust it
NLP
presupposes that the unconscious mind is benevolent.
It acts intuitively in our best interests. As explained
above, when you can do something really well, you have
unconscious competence. People tend to go to a therapist
when they have tried to change, with all their conscious
awareness and need to access their unconscious resources.
NLP presupposes that we have all the resources we need
- or can create them.
CONGRUENCY
SIGNALS
- INTUITION
We are congruent when all our verbal and non-verbal
behaviour supports our desired outcome. Some call it
"walking the talk". It's about wanting something
with your whole being so that your actions are in harmony.
This is particularly true of the different contributions
that combine to make a team successful.
How
do you know if you are congruent ? If you become familiar
with a feeling associated with a real and authentic
want that you had. Describe the feeling using a variety
of sub modalities so you can use it in the future to
know that you really want something. You are searching
for a feeling, sight or sound that makes you feel congruent.
Incongruence
is about mixed messages. The result is often muddled
actions and self-sabotage. Your intuition tells you
not to proceed. Think back to a time when you didn't
listen to your intuition and things went wrong. Where
was the comment or attitude in your body felt? This
"felt-sense" is your incongruency signal.
It just doesn't feel right.
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MODELING
STRATEGIES
How
people go about doing something when they do it well
can be copied or modeled. In the words of Joseph
O'Connor, "it is the
process of discerning the sequence of ideas and behaviour
that enable someone to accomplish a task."
Robert Dilts sees it as "the
process of observing and mapping the successful behaviours
of other people."
There
are three types of modeling or ways of observing someone
and mapping how they are achieving something through
their five senses, their thinking patterns and how they
make sense of something. They are:
Sensory Modeling relates to behaviour in an environment
.
. . . more on Linguistic Acts
Conceptual Modeling relates to beliefs and capabilities
. . . . more on Mental Maps
Symbolic Modeling relates to spiritual metaphor
and identity
.
. . . more on Symbolic Modeling
They
are all supported by three methods - First, Second and
Third Position modeling
Second Position information gathering is when
the modeler puts aside as much of their own map of the
world as possible and "becomes the other person
- taking on their behaviours, strategies, beliefs, etc.
The challenge for the modeler is to remain in a state
of 'not knowing' as long as possible. This is done by
shadowing,
using the senses to observe another person's 'way of
being' and replicating the behaviour patterns - not
copying the person.
Third Position information comes from taking
a detached standpoint from which to observe and ask
questions of the person being modeled on the basis of
what they see and hear, not their own interpretation.
As all questions are value loaded in some way (say through
the intonation and body language) this is best done
by asking coaching
questions with NLP presuppositions in mind. Symbolic
Modeling uses Clean Language questions to minimised
any presupposition interference.
First Position information is drawn from the
way we see the world. This means what we see and interpret
what is around us depends on what we are looking for.
This process is often unconscious learned from personal
experience or self-impressions. It lies at the core
of the mentoring process.
NLP
is therefore a process for codifying excellence so that
others can achieve it. Purposeful behaviour is linked
to specific mental strategies that are dynamic and programmable.
NLP makes it possible to model thinking and behaviour
in a positive, conscious way, so that uncertainty is
seemingly taken out of the change process. NLP enables
you to take control of the way you see the world. You
create your world view from the way you choose to make
sense of the information and energy that comes to you.
You
can change or remove your presuppositions to think in
ways similar to people who appear to be more successful
in this world. You do this by observing what the successful
person is doing differently to you - the distinctions
that make the difference if you practice it. To be the
best you can be you have to be prepared to enter "the
changezone". To change for the better is a personal
choice that only you can make - after all, it's your
life you are living. What you do, think and feel is
under your control.
It's
important to remember though, that information comes
to our senses at the rate of 2 million bytes per second,
yet we internally we can only process it at about 134
bytes per second - less than 1%. As a result our knowledge
of the world and our understanding of it will only ever
be partial.
META-MODELS
They reveal how we
filter
reality by using language to understand other people's
mental maps and language patterns create or avoid meaning.
Involved in meta-models is the use of filters. This
is about creating maps of the territory. We use sight,
sound and feeling to create our own reality.
It
means that with language and other modalities we make
use of:
generalisations -
so that a lot of detail is not transmitted. "You
always do that" "You never do so-and-so"
"I can't do that" "I
ought to make the effort" What's communicated
may not be what was intended - lacking in focus or detail
we make. This is the basis of prejudice and classification,
where we make assumptions instead of looking for more
detailed information to get clarity.
deletions - all kinds
of information, which we assume others will understand,
yet may not because we select the information we pay
attention to. "It annoys
me" "They don't understand" "His
attitude bothers me" "I
need fulfillment" "Dieting can be dangerous"
prompts a what, who, where, when, how or why
types of questions to get more information to get at
what the persons means exactly when they are judging
or comparing.
distortions - of meaning,
either knowingly or unknowingly which shifts our experience
of sensory data. "You're
not sure, are you ?" "I know he didn't enjoy
it" "If you cared you would understand how
I feel" prompts the need to ask - How exactly
do you know that ? There is a need to understand the
link between cause and effect or to get at the presupposition
on which the statement was based in order to make sense
of it.
FILTERS
How we filter the information and energy that comes
to us depends on the map of the world we use to make
sense of it (mental map), how we feel about it (emotional
intelligence), the way we behave towards it (observable/physical
activity), and how connected we believe we are to others
or our god (spiritual). Paying attention to all four
dimensions allows us to take control of the things we
can control and make us feel more successful at getting
what we want from our lives.
NLP
enables you to extract information and positive energy
coming to us at great speed and complexity which we
filter through your five submodalities of seeing, hearing,
feeling, smelling and tasting. Other filters include
selective memory, the choices you make, your values
(what's important to you) and your beliefs (what's true
for you).
Beware
of believing that that your map is like someone else's
and that you can truly understand another person. An
understanding of diversity means we respect each other's
maps of the world.
STRUCTURE
To make distinctions, NLP refers to everyday language
as Surface Structure, where the intention is
to keep things simple to understand. In doing so we
generalise, delete
and distort the information. For
example, when someone says "I have bought a car"
The
opposite is to say everything that could be said, in
order to amplify or clarify. For example, "I bought
a red hatchback Volvo car from Metro Motors for £3,000
last Tuesday" . . . and so on. This is referred
to as Deep Structure.
Alfred
Korzybski observed that any definition of words by using
words is inevitably a refinement. It's like asking Why
? five times to get at what someone really means. All
objects are subjective because they have to be defined
using words which are inevitably imprecise in defining
what something "is" - only what it's like.
See Action
Theory
This
lies below Deep Structure and can only be reached through
the emotional domain. See Clean
Language
The
usefulness of maps is that they represent reality or
the territory. Links in the objective world are made
through the linguistic world and only to be found in
structure. Much of what existed we are simply not aware
of - X-rays, Ultraviolet Light, etc. There is therefore
a limit to the distinctions we can make. We cannot see
a tree grow or feel changes in temperature. When we
sense the change it has been processed by the brain
against our extensive programming database which transforms
the primary data through complex neurological and chemical
connections to make sense to us. We do not have direct
access to the real world.
Our
language, moods and senses combine to transform what
is being experienced so it connects with what we experiences
yesterday and the day before. Limited experiences lead
to further limited experiences and our potential is
never realised. NLP helps ourselves and others to expand
our maps and experiences to expand our range of choices.
SYMBOLIC
MODELING
Based on metaphor, symbolic modeling focuses on indirect
communication by a story or figure of speech implying
a comparison. It covers similes, parables and allegories.
Just as behaviour is the raw material for Sensory Modeling
and ideas are the raw material for Conceptual Modeling,
Symbolic Modeling draws on metaphor. They are all different
aspects of human experience.
Linguistic
metaphor is the verbal surface structure of an
untapped mine of meaning. In our deep structure
lies a complete symbolic representation which has information
encoded in visual, auditory and kinesthetic (felt by
the body) consructs.
All
metaphors contain symbols. - the components of metaphor.
A symbol contains more hidden meaning than a sign. Metaphors
carry meaning that words alone cannot describe.
Symbolic
Modeling is often used to map "problem states".
The slightest change in 'input' or 'process' information
can change the 'outcome' i.e. behaviour. The process
of using clean language questioning techniques is to
get at patterns of behaviour and thinking strategies.
By self-observation we come to understand ourselves.
Complexity Theory tells us that a system will reorganise
in a way that preserves the identity of the system.
See Self-Organisation
Self-awareness
enables us to self correct our own system. This transformation
is organic and results in behaviours that work better.
It can happen consciously or unconsciously. Either way
it is mostly automatic.
It
is helpful in a coaching context where a client cannot
formulate an outcome, is caught in a dilemma, is a 'big
issue', when the meta-state is unproductive, etc. Habits
are just patterns that perpetuate themselves and can
therefore be changed when seen not to be working in
our best interests.
PATTERNS
Patterns cannot be measured or weighed, they must be
mapped. It's about the relationship between things.
Symbolic Modeling uses clean language to to identify
the components, relationships and organisation. It is
the way we make sense of abstract meaning.
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NEURO-LOGICAL
LEVELS

Very
useful framework for helping us understand life operating
at multiple levels of learning and change in order to
be successful. Some see this purpose operating at the
highest level which gets at people's perceptions of
larger systems, those involving spiritual and cultural
issues.
Identity
(the who
behind the why, how, what, where and when) asks
what role you play or how you see yourself in relation
to a bigger purpose.
Beliefs
and Values
(the motivation behind the strategies and capabilities
used to achieve change) combine
to create attitudes towards things and other people
to understand why
a particular path is taken.
Values
embody waht is important to us and will determine what
we are willing to spend time and resources on. Values
govern all human behaviour and are the principles we
live by. Values are how we judge right and wrong, fair
and unfair. They determine what we move towards and
move away from. What we believe in depends on our values.
Deeply
held beliefs are stated as certainties with words such
as 'never', 'always', 'everyone' in conjunction with
'could/should/ought' or 'couldn't/shouldn't/oughtn't'.
These thoughts influence behaviour and feelings. Change
the thoughts and you change behaviour (action) and feelings.
Some believe the opposite, that changes in behaviour
(action) and feelings influences the way we think. Others
believe that it is the overlapping of experiences based
on different combinations of f thinking, behaving and
feeling that shapes our believes and values. To get
at beliefs and values just challenge assumptions.
Capabilities
(the ability to select and direct actions) are
often combined with strategies to guide behaviour and
get at how you go
about making sense of things.
Behaviours
(the actions taken within a given environment)
are the outcomes of the attitudes
that can be observed in what
people do.
When
you have an experience you create a memory of what happened.
To benefit from a bad experience you can lay down an
alternative memory. A new behaviour
generator. It is based on what you would
have done better. The next time you are in a similar
position you benefit from what you wished you had done,
which is more resourceful and more effective than what
actually happened.
Environment
(the context in which people can, or cannot, act
and interact) answers the
questions where, when
and with whom action is taken.
Values
will change within a context. You may hold certain values
around something at work and different values around
the same thng at home. You may even have to 'adopt'
organisational values if you wish to succeed as an employee.
Criteria
are those values that are important to us in context.
They are more specific than values.They are the reasons
that you do something and what you get out of it.
Making
a change at a lower level can be achieved by physical
movement and not necessarily affect any levels above
it. A change at the upper levels will have an impact
on the levels below.
It's
a useful tool in the context of Coaching in deciding
where to make an intervention or for aligning a collection
of actions to achieve an objective or even realign one's
identity to a new context.
The
logic influences our behaviour and our outcomes. Likewise
the outcomes we get from our actions influences subsequent
behaviour and future outcomes. If the outcome is not
what you wanted then you must change your behaviour.
This may require you to question the assumptions behind
your thinking and focus on a different logical level.
This may mean changing your belief system or developing
new capabilities.
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4-WAY
CHANGE MODEL
This
approach is based on Steve Trivett's Model of Dynamic
Change. It is more logical than the Logical Levels
model and moves your thinking away from ladders and
steps. For example, capability is seen as a collection
of behaviours generated from the inside-out in response
to demands from an environment that influences how you
get from one state to another - behaviour driven from
the outside-in.
These
behaviours emerge from a bigger system of which they
are only a part - such as the vision or purpose imposed
from the top-down or a belief in the value of collaboration
through culture to the extent they exert influence from
the bottom-up.

The
top-down/bottom-up dynamic addresses hierarchies of
expertise and control. The inside-out/outside-in dynamic
addresses issues relating to the individual in context.
All four perspectives combine to create a logic frame
for thinking about change as a state of mind, which
is called the change zone.
Believing
that being in the 'change zone' is important to achieving
successful change, you begin to value it and seek to
understand it. You consequently decide to identify with
its logic of stretching you to the limits of your ability
and to operate in line with the intention and expectation
of successful change.
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