An Introduction to
NLP
Krista Powell Edwards
MA FCIPD
NLP Master Practitioner and trainer
This evening will cover
• What is NLP
• The four pillars of NLP
• NLP in action – Sponsoring a State
• Feedback from activity
• Questions
What is NLP? - Origin
NLP first emerged in the 1970s when a group at
UCLA became interested in what made people
excellent.
The group studied people who were know for
excellence in their field.
From this they identified how to model
excellence and transcribe it to another
Bandler and Grinder coined the term Neuro
Linguistic Programming to show their belief in
a connection between
• neurological processes ('Neuro')
• language ('linguistic') and
• behavioural patterns that have been learned
through experience ('programming‘)
What is NLP? - Definitions
Official definition
“NLP is the study of subjective behaviour”
Oxford English Dictionary definition
“A model of interpersonal communication chiefly
concerned with the relationship between
successful patterns of behaviour and the
subjective experiences (esp. patterns of thought)
underlying them”
The Northern School of NLP and Associated Studies
definition
“Modelling is the process of understanding how a
person ticks, NLP is the mindset and tools which
enables us to do this”
A Model of NLP
Where am I?
What have I got ?
Where would I rather be?
What would I rather have?
Present
State
Desired
State
How do I get there?
NLP can be described as the process required to take
you from a present state to a desired state
NLP Presuppositions
• The NLP presuppositions are the
fundamental principles upon which
NLP is based
• They can be used as signposts to use
when exploring your world
The Four Pillars of NLP
These are called the pillars of NLP because they are the
essential elements for effective excellence in communication
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Rapport
Rapport is the relationship between two
systems - the quality of the
relationship that you have with other
people that results in mutual trust and
responsiveness
• Who do you have good rapport with?
• Who do you not have good rapport
with?
• What is the impact?
Outcome Setting
Setting an outcome in every situation
enables you to act in a purposeful way
Outcome setting has 3 elements:• Knowing your present situation
• Knowing your desired situation – where
you want to be
• Planning your strategy – how to get from
one to the other, using your existing
resources or creating new ones as required
“If you don’t know what port you are sailing to, no
wind is favourable” Seneca ‘the Younger’ 4BC – AD65
Sensory Acuity
We gather information through our five
senses:Sight
Sound
Touch Smell
Taste
Sensory Acuity is using your senses for
gathering and checking information and
using it to check where you are, and
whether you have arrived at your
outcome
Flexibility
Flexibility is about recognising and
responding to choice points
• It’s being able to do something different
when what you’re currently doing isn’t
working.
• The more choices you have – in your
emotional state, communication style and
perspective - the greater the potential for
different outcomes
“If you do what you’ve always done
you’ll get what you’ve always got”
Using NLP
NLP can be used as a way of
• Influencing Self
For example, understanding ones own
responses and changing behaviour
• Influencing Others
For example, recognising other
peoples language patterns or
communication preferences
Sponsorship
“Sponsorship is the process of recognising
and acknowledging the essence or identity
of another, or part of ourselves”
Robert Dilts
In NLP sponsorship can be of others or self
sponsorship
Sponsoring a State
This is an activity for self sponsorship
• Pair up
• Each person pick a state they want to explore – a
part of yourself that inhibits your ability to
live as fully and freely as you would desire
• In turns, one person read and respond to the
statements and their partner write down what is
said.
Feedback from Activity
• What did you notice when exploring
or when you were observing your
partner exploring?
Any questions?
Thank you
for listening and
participating
Next events
• 13th October – Managing State
• 10th November – Building rapport
Any questions Email
krista@humanistics.org.uk