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Neuro-linguistic programming: Does it work?
Someone, somewhere has heard of a method, which makes miracles. They’ve done the course, came home, dipped into their comfy sofa and waited for the changes to happen and the life to get better, fuller, richer. Not.
NLP describes a connection between neurological processes (’neuro’), language (’linguistic’) and behavioral patterns that have been learned through experience (’programming’) and that can be organised to achieve specific goals in life:
“Neuro” acknowledges the idea that all behaviour stems from our neurological processes of sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch and feeling.
“Linguistic” indicates that we use language to order our thoughts and behaviour and to communicate with others.
“Programming” refers to ways we can choose to organize our ideas and actions to produce results.
Its co-founders, dr Richard Bandler and John Grinder defined it as “finding ways to help people have better, fuller and richer lives”. Please, listen to how dr Richard Bandler, the co-founder of NLP explains what NLP is about.
The problem appears when people think that after they’ve done NLP, the rest is going to follow. You simply go home, relax and the life gets better. Not.
Since I am also greatly involved into language teaching, I usually compare it to how people believe they can learn a foreign language. You do a (magic) course (you know the ones with alpha learning) and English, German, Italian, even Chinese somehow find their ways into your brains (subconsciousness) and you become fluent instantly. Not.
Magic like this does not exist. If you want to change your life for the better and have therefore decided to do NLP it helps if you practice it and – use it. All the methods, techniques, strategies – of which NLP is abundant – should be learnt, practiced and used.
I can easily say for myself that in my life I strictly use the feedback technique (and it took me a while to master it), stacking anchors to fire off the desired emotional state when I need it, SMART model, predicates, anchoring with audience and on stage and other. For me it works.
To reflect on it a bit further. Years ago, when I was in the middle of my Practitioner training I also did another course – strategic negotiations. The workshop was run by a trainer, who had lots of NLP books listed in his bibliography at the end of the handouts. I was very happy about this. So, during the break I asked him if he knew NLP and what he thinks of it. His reply left me dumbfounded. He replied: “Oh, yes … NLP … This is about how to manipulate people!”
I thought I wasn’t hearing well. Why on earth does this guy use NLP materials if he feels that way? The bottom line is that he didn’t use any of NLP materials listed in his bibliography, neither did he know anything of it. And I replied:
“Well … If you use it to manipulate, then it’s a means of manipulation. And if you use it to communicate better, to help yourself and other people, to reach objectives with less effort and – ultimately – to lead a better life, then this can only be a resourceful tool!”
Before you read on, please, listen again to Richard explaining how YOU can benefit from NLP training.
All of the above is true. If you don’t practice or use it, it won’t work. If you don’t believe in it, again it won’t work. And if you use it to manipulate people close to you (in personal and professional environment) it won’t work either, because this means you are only concerned with your own benefits.
The bottom line? I suggest you join one of NLP groups to see for yourself that it works. I and my husband, Matteo will be available for NLP Practitioner this September in Ljubljana. For more information about NLP, please, click here, to register for the Ljubljana workshop, please, click here.
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Matteo Bocelli
