NLP Patterns

Common Thread Binding All NLP Patterns

Summary:

Today's meeting presented the idea that one of the threads common to all NLP interventions is moving the ourselves or our clients from some current unbearableĀ state, place or situationĀ to some better one. We explored this idea by comparing several NLP patterns, and across many contexts, and asking:

  • Where do we really want to go? - Get really clear about this before starting.
  • Where are we now? - Take inventory of how you got here, what you have and what you'll need.
  • What is the best way to get there from here? - Several choices allow for selection of the best way.

Whether using Six-Step Reframing, Decision Destroyer, or a Swish Pattern, we are helping ourselves or our clients or friends develop several automatic neurological choices that they did not know that they had, in order to move towards an ecologically sound state that is better than the present state. We stressed the creation of choices, because sometimes the "best" choice is not available, and so alternate choices allow for forward direction, until the best choice is available again. Ideally, three choices is the number where freedom begins.

The central theme of the meeting was in pursuit of the simple and elegant, core and essential aspects present in any NLP pattern, so that when using any pattern the NLP Practitioner will always know where he is in the process, where she is headed, and what to do when something is not working.

One of the attendees shared that Robert McDonald had trained him and others to memorize only 8 NLP patterns, not only so that they could master them, but so that these broadly applicable techniques could be improvised upon in real time without departing too far from their underlying structure. We talked about how like jazz this is. Learning the basic structures allows improvization while the music is still recognizable.

The PowerPoint presentation is available on the link below.

Feedback:

John Grinder has said that anything worth doing well is worth doing badly at first...

Thanks to the attendees participation and feedback.