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INTRODUCING NLP

Ashok

NLP is an interesting approach of understanding how our mind works behind the screen so that we can become more aware of our (also others’) subconscious thinking processes and understand how we think and how we act. When we study those thinking processes that lead to human excellence, we understand a lot more about our mind and how we can use it to the fullest advantage. This awareness opens up a lot more of conscious choices to understand why we are getting what we are getting in life and invites us to an exciting possibility of lasting changes in our thinking processes, which may lead us to become what we wanted to become and to go where we want to go more smoothly and more easily.

It is a process of understanding our own selves by observing and understanding the world around us (or vice versa), with a new set of very successful tools and techniques, evolved in the world of NLP by experts.

In today's world of constant rapid change, where we need to learn continuously at a pace that the world has never seen before, NLP Skills come handy for a learning organisation to keep its members with increased flexibility in handling change inside and outside, in a way to truly learn and lead the change.

The name Neuro Linguistic Programming originated in California and was developed in 1975 by two Americans, Richard Bandler and John Grinder, whose interest lay in how they could reproduce the excellence of people whose performance they admired. It refers to the elements that make up the process of modelling.

Neuro refers to the thinking patterns that make up the mental aspect of our strategies. We take information in, and hold it in our minds in visual, auditory and kinaesthetic (feeling) ways. For example a part of a strategy to feel confident at the start of giving a presentation might be to see ourselves as in a movie, in full colour doing the presentation in the way that we would ideally like to do it. We might hear an encouraging internal voice urging us to do well. We might imagine the smooth feel of the table that is beside us as we stand and the steady confident feeling in our stomach as we begin to speak.

Linguistic refers to the way we use language both inwardly to ourselves (our inner dialogue) and the language we use in conversation with others. With NLP we can become aware of the patterns in our own and others’ language and the effect of these patterns on both ourselves and others. For example, even if you ask someone 'why not' when they say they can't do something, they become even more resistant to the idea of doing it? A more effective question might be 'What would happen if you did this?'

Programming: The programmes that we run are our strategies for getting results in all areas of our life and work. Sometimes those results are what we want whereas at other times they do not seem to meet any conscious need. We are like computers in that we have mental and behavioural codes for running our lives. Sometimes the codes work well and sometimes they have 'bugs' and instead of achieving the results we want we sabotage our seemingly desired success. Sometimes we have the codes but we use them inappropriately. For example, you might be perceived as stubborn in the way that you hang on to a point of view when it would be better to let go. What you could do would be to use that same structure to tenaciously hold onto your goals when faced with disappointment. Stubbornness can be tenacity when used appropriately. NLP is a means of tapping into the wealth of resources that we all have within to support us in achieving what we really want, says Sue Knight in her book, NLP at Work.

Today NLP is described as

A Collection of Communication skills
A series of sales techniques
A way of questioning that allows you to uncover information that is missing, unconscious or hidden, so that you can understand a communication fully
A set of beliefs that allows humans to grow
A collection of skills for influencing people while maintaining your integrity and respect theirs
A way to build stronger, more enjoyable relationships
A detailed understanding of how people learn and how to teach them.

NLP will enable you to

Do whatever you already do reasonably well and even better
Acquire skills and attitudes to do what you cannot do right now, but would like to be able to do
Communicate more effectively with others
Think more clearly
Manage your thoughts, moods and behaviours more effectively.

General Applications:

NLP has already helped millions of people all over the world to overcome fears, increase confidence, enrich relationships and achieve greater success. NLP has helped thousands of organizations, both large and small, to improve bottom-line results by empowering employees with effective mental resources to consistently perform at peak levels.

Neuro Linguistic Programming is the Most Powerful Vehicle for Change in the 21st Century !”
- Modern Psychology

“A New Standard for Psychology.”
- Psychology Today

“NLP helps me to manage audiences and motivate them. It is just amazing."
- Oprah Winfrey, the No. 1 talk show host in the world.

"I built my sales career from zero to become the world’s best motivator by using NLP"
- Anthony Robbins, the best-known success coach in the World.

"NLP produces results and improves rapport. I want all my staff to attend the training."
- James Olson, former chairman, AT&T.

"NLP is one of the biggest breakthroughs in the technology of achievement and human excellence."
- Time Magazine

"NLP could be the most important synthesis of knowledge about human communication to emerge since the explosion of Humanistic Psychology in the sixties."
- Science Digest