NLP resources

NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) Defined 

Robert Dilts of NLP University, CA, USA defines NLP best as a "behavioral model, and set of explicit skills and techniques founded in early 1976...NLP studies the patterns or "programming" created by the interaction between the brain ('neuro'), language ('linguistic) and the body...it is this interaction that produces both effective and ineffective behavior, and is responsible for the processes behind both human excellence and pathology." 

In my own words (Theresa), the founders of  NLP discovered that thoughts, feelings, sensations, automatic reactions, habits, etc. are not free-floating phenomenon, but rather are rooted in sensory remembrances of an event or sensation; as such if one can change the structure of the sensory experience of an event or sensation, one can quite painlessly change the corresponding unwanted or un-useful thoughts, feelings, sensations, automatic reactions, habits, etc. Quite literally, if you've responded in an un-useful way to something in your past, you can act now to change it. 

Business Applications of NLP

In a business context this can be extremely useful simply by consciously rearranging the sensory data of an experience, one can respond in totally different and more resourceful ways.  Namely, NLP can build skills in many useful areas such as:

	Identifying and using natural leadership abilities
	Enhancing personal effectiveness in communication and influencing others
	Developing and maintaining states of personal excellence
	Dealing with group ecology and systemic issues

Advanced NLP Application to Business

The advanced application of NLP to business include a set of tools, both linguistic (meaning, language pattern) and observational, to identify and influence organizational beliefs and values, such as quality, leadership, well formed outcomes, requirements ambiguity reduction, conflict resolution, negotiation, cross-organizational influencing and mentoring, matrix management, convincing skeptics, and much more, including:

	defining the problem space of managing beliefs and values
	defining beliefs and values in relationship to other organizational processes
	hierarchies of beliefs and values
	defining key areas of beliefs and values
	basic skills for managing beliefs and values in a group or organization
	use of symbolic contexts and metaphor to influence beliefs and values
	typologies of situations involving beliefs and values
	definition and discussion of assumptions and presuppositions
	eliciting and identifying unspoken assumptions
	criteria for managing beliefs and values
	taking multiple perspectives - dealing with culture shock
	promoting communications between people of different backgrounds
	the communication matrix - meta messages and psycho geography
	dealing with common limiting beliefs and thought viruses
	sleight of mouth - pattern of conversational belief change
	managing conflicts of beliefs and values

NLP Presuppositions

The NLP Presuppositions are not considered "truths" by NLP practitioners, but they are considered more "useful" than other paradigms. They include the following ideas which you may or may not agree can be useful to a person in the position of leadership: 

1. The map is not the territory. 
2. Each person's unique model of the world is equally valid
3. You cannot not communicate, and the meaning of your communication is in the response you get
4. There is no failure, only feedback
5. You are not your behavior. Accept the person, change the behavior
6. People have all the resources they need to succeed. There are no unresourceful people, only unresourceful states
7. People are doing the best they can with the resources they have available
8. The part of any system which has the most flexibility controls the system (Ashby's Law of Requisite Variety)
9. Every behavior has a positive intention
10. All behavior is appropriate in some context
11. The mind and the body affect each other
12. I am in charge of my mind, and therefore my results
13. All interventions should increase choice
14. What others can do, you can learn

Links to resources 

For further information and study of NLP, we can recommend the following three sites: 

1. http://www.nlpu.com 

2. http://www.nlpworld.com  although their site isn't that fancy, nlpworld.com includes the best list of nlp books, audio tapes, etc. I've seen (Theresa). 

3. http://www.nlpco.com