Have you ever wondered how some people just seem to ‘have the knack’ when it comes to communicating effectively with clients and colleagues? Could it be that they’re more tuned into how others prefer to communicate which in turn gives them their desired response? This is where NLP or Neuro Linguistic Programming can assist.
What is NLP?
NLP was originally developed by Richard Bandler and John Grinder in the 1970s. It explores the relationship between:
| Neuro | How we think | ||
| Linguistic | How we communicate both verbally and non-verbally | ||
| and | |||
| Programming | Our patterns of behaviour and emotion |
NLP provides a set of tools to help us shape our life by changing our thought patterns. The model explains how we process information through our senses (our representational system of the world):
| Visual | Images | ||
| Auditory | Sounds | ||
| Kinaesthetic | Feelings | ||
| Olfactory | Smells | ||
| Gustatory | Taste |
Our thinking consists of these images, sounds, feelings and to a lesser extent, smells and tastes. The entirety of our experiences are recreated through these senses.
We use all of the senses and have a preferred representational system. This comes through in our language. For example:
| Visual | ‘That looks good to me’ | ||
| Auditory | ‘That sounds good’ | ||
| Kinaesthetic | ‘That feels right with me’ | ||
| Olfactory | ‘Smells like a winner to me’ | ||
| Gustatory | ‘I can taste the victory’ |
How can NLP be used?
NLP can be used in a number of settings:
- Personal development
- Improve management of teams
- Increase sales
- Create rapport in one-on-one communication
- Improve interpersonal communication in working relationships
Whether you use NLP at a personal level or in business, you’ll find that you’ll develop as an individual by improving your communication with those around you and ultimately you’ll achieve your professional and personal goals.
