NLP over the last 30 years has been disseminated through and into many different disciplines.Companies from all over the world offer NLP training as part of their curriculum or use the techniques of NLP in their own particular courses without referencing the source.

NLP trainers, who have experienced some ‘well known Speaker Trainers’, recognise NLP techniques such as the ‘Alphabet Game’ that haven’t been referenced. While this seems to be common practice in training, what it does do is to water down the source and make people believe that what they are learning is part of something else or developed by that person. An example of this is people learning NLP on an Emotional Intelligence course, and then saying they have learnt some great EI skills.

In the 90’s Richard Bandler sought to address the dilution of NLP and bring it back to where he believed it should be by trade-marking the acronym and filing lawsuits, thus giving him control over the future development of NLP. This was an understandable response to NLP being carved up by other people and sold to the highest bidder without any acknowledgement of the source, but perhaps more acutely the mythology and dilution that had surrounded NLP needed to be brought back to what he and John intended since it’s co-creation in the 70’s. However, the resulting lawsuits were dropped and a conclusion was reached. NLP was back in the public domain.

In the book ‘Whispering in the Wind’, by Carmen Bostic St. Clair and John Grinder, both the authors sought to address some of the issues surrounding the NLP Mythology and original coding by updating parts of the early models of NLP and attending to how NLP began and their wish for the future.

NLP: The Future

In the history of this planet, great ideas, creative solutions and innovations formed the fabric of society, some by accident, some out of necessity and some through collaboration. NLP fell into the latter part; collaboration. Two people from different backgrounds with their own talents and capabilities provoked and challenged each other and created Neuro Linguistic Programming.

What sets NLP apart from other forms of learning methods is the distinction between process and content. NLP challenges the assumptions of traditional learning by asking the question – “If you have a person who excels in their field what are the differences that make the difference between what they do and someone else who is only competent?” In answer to this question John and Richard created NLP Modelling.

NLP Modelling is the future. It is a method that allows for the attainment of these differences. For example what makes Jonny Wilkinson an exceptional Rugby player, or what makes Michael Schumacher an outstanding Formula One driver. What are the differences that make the difference? Through NLP Modelling these exceptional skills and behaviours can be learnt.

The advantage of NLP Modelling is that it doesn’t rely on the person’s personal history or experience (content) but only on how they do what they do (process). This means that regardless of their experience, their skill or behaviour can be replicated and learnt in full without the years of trial and error that accomplished the original learning. This is because experience has structure.

NLP generates a structure of our unconscious processes into patterns that can be learnt. Perhaps you are learning to sing and wish to have perfect pitch and you know someone who can do this, NLP will allow you to learn this skill through modelling their behaviour. Maybe you are developing a leadership program for your company and within your organisation there is someone who possesses exceptional leadership qualities. NLP Modelling will make available the unconscious strategies and behaviours this person uses to make those leadership decisions appear effortless and natural. NLP Modelling will deliver what this person systematically does that appears to be an effortless process right into the hands of those who wish to achieve the same results. It is like getting a behind the scenes look at the illusionist’s magic.

When we excel at any particular skill it is because the skill has been honed to a fine degree over years of persistent practice, diligence and feedback. Most of which has been an unconscious process of learning. It is this unconscious process that NLP modelling is concerned with; it is here that the difference that makes the difference lies. For example: You don’t think about how you are driving when you are driving. It is automatic. So automatic in fact that at times you will have arrived at your destination without even realising how you got there. Someone who uses NLP Modelling will model the specific behaviours you use that are outside of your awareness.

When performing tasks you unconsciously pay attention to various informational inputs through your senses (Taste, Touch, Smell, Vision and Hearing). Each one of these inputs interprets an event simultaneously and forms minute adjustments and changes to satisfy the progress of your desired outcome. It is these areas that are outside of our awareness that have been defined, refined and defined again and again until a state of optimal performance has been reached. It is these areas that people refer to as genius.

NLP Modelling is the acquisition of unconscious behaviours that are outside of our awareness. These behaviours are formed into a set of patterns that can be learnt. These patterns then determine a set of models some of which form the structure of NLP trainings. A model is a collection of skills, behaviours and conceptual ideas of what a person does and how they do it.

The next time you see someone who has an amazing skill or ability, know that it is attainable and can be learnt and taught to others through the use of NLP Modelling. It is in NLP Modelling that we find the future and that we can learn the skills of excellence and utilise these in our business and personal lives. NLP Modelling is the future.

NLP Modelling is for people interested in the pursuit of excellence.