Does NLP Work How

Friday, 13 July 2007

Does NLP Work? How does neuro-linguistic programming work? Frequently asked questions FAQ on NLP. How to use NLP in business.

Does NLP Work?

Yes. NLP has been proven effective in a variety of fields from business to sports to culture understanding. It has been used widely by successful individuals who have learned to come out of their shell. Personal change and development are highly linked with your knowledge and perception of yourself, others and the world. You can have one session of NLP and acquire years of success. NLP works and will continue to work with its constant innovations. You can effectively recreate your memories, eliminate negative feelings and improve your way of communicating with NLP. Your senses are enhanced in a way that your brain is empowering all the things you do, the thoughts in your mind and your personal feelings. You can perform NLP on your own although it is recommended that you seek the help of an expert in the beginning or do it along with other therapies to have therapeutic effects in the long term. NLP works fast, effectively and in the long term. You will be amazed as to how NLP can turn your life around by simply harnessing and bringing out the good qualities that are already inside of you. You only need to realize your potential to make the most out of yourself and your experiences. With NLP, you'll find yourself a stronger individual who knows how to deal with the world with great pride and influence.

How Does NLP Work?

NLP works by assimilating your subjective experiences. Since the time you started remembering events in your life, your brain has been continuously storing information. This information then becomes memories and recalled experiences that are transformed into your own personal beliefs and perception of the world. Depending on how you reacted to the past experience, your beliefs and perception will either be positive or negative. The positive ones can stay as long as you want to reinforce your way of knowing yourself and responding to others. However, the negative ones also affect your behavior and thoughts and you have to devise a way to get rid of them. NLP helps you achieve this by directly changing your false or negative understanding based on past experiences. By linking your senses and brain, you can effectively let go of traumatic experiences, hard feelings and vague thoughts that have been influencing your actions for so long. The hindrances to your personal development will be eliminated, paving the way to success. The entire process relies heavily on you. You have to be able to identify your own strengths and weaknesses and know the areas that cause you to experience pain or fear. Negative behaviors are often denied, which is why you have to be mentally and emotionally prepared to draw them out. NLP helps you unravel unconscious beliefs and strengthen your positive views in life and eliminate the negative ones that block growth.

Using NLP on Yourself

You can apply NLP on your own self. Since you're aiming for personal growth and success, there might be more meaning if you do the programming by yourself. You will be more sensitive to the needs of your senses, you can listen more to the changes that your mind wants you to undergo and you don't have to go through much to recall memory or access past experiences. Several methods like trance, self-hypnosis, meditation, etc. are used to create a relaxed mental state where you can view yourself from a different point of view. Your subjective experience will then be transformed into a more objective scenario so you can accurately assess which points you need to fix and replace. Here are some quick tips on using NLP on yourself.

1. Choose a problem. You have to clearly define which problem you want to improve. Let's say you wish to have more discipline. Specify discipline in terms of the time you wake up, sticking to your diet, etc. so that you will have a vivid scenario.

2. Visualize. Draw pictures in your mind defining the problem you chose. Allow your mind to retrieve information if ever you did something relevant to the problem. You can review the scene all over again from different points of view. Be creative and include the necessary details that best describe the problem.

3. Review. When you have successfully drawn the picture, stick to that thought whenever you want. Repeat the scenario over and over at one point and another to make sure that you recognize all the details. When you do something that is close to the scenario, review the thought and compare it with the actual situation.

4. Relive. Tell yourself that you have successfully done in reality what you were assimilating in your mind. Encourage yourself that you can do it all over again just like reviewing the picture over and over. Do the exercise daily for at least two weeks. In due time, you will realize the factors wherein your mind learns and performs better. Here are some benefits of using NLP on yourself.

1. Change. You can renew or replace old beliefs and behaviors that have negative effects on your overall character. This way you can install new ones that will make you a stronger individual.

2. Improve. You will realize your potential, strengthen weak areas and improve other aspects of your life. You will be able to see the world in a new light, thus boosting your confidence and performance.

3. Relate. When you see yourself from a new point of view, you become more objective when relating to your environment and the people around you. You become a better communicator.

4. Control. You get to know yourself better and be aware of your current emotional and mental states. You will have control in accessing both conscious and subconscious states according to the demands of the present situation.

Using NLP in Business

NLP has been proven as highly effective in many, if not all aspects of business. Since NLP improves the way you understand yourself, your environment and those around you, it will definitely have an impact in the fast-paced and often ruthless workplace. You will develop the right skills, attitudes and mindset that aim for nothing less than competence and productivity. You will also be able to relate to and do business with other individuals the best way you can, making the right decisions and sound judgment. Nothing is permanent in the marketplace which is why you constantly have to adjust and prepare yourself to change. With the techniques and methods which NLP is known for, you will be able to solve a variety of business predicaments ranging from predicting simple revenues to managing time-bound assets. Business and management go hand-in-hand so by knowing yourself first, you also learn your business. Just as you operate and respond emotionally based on your experience and beliefs, you will automatically handle business the same way you programmed your brain. Here are some uses of NLP in business.

1. Accountants. You will be efficient in figures, calculating assets and potential losses and managing overall budget and overhead.

2. Customer Service. By relating to other people well, you are more sensitive in providing for their needs. Customer satisfaction is your utmost concern for repeat transactions.

3. Directors. Your leadership and management skills will be enhanced. Knowing your behavior also gives you a new view of yourself so that you won't seem manipulative and self-centered.

4. Managers. You take control of the situation, your personnel and the product or service. You make sure that you stay ahead of the market through innovation and reputation.

5. Engineers. Creativity is one of your best assets and you constantly aim for development, growth and originality. You can create tangible products or ideas with your imagination. Here are some benefits of NLP in business.

1. Dynamic Teams. Since you care about your colleagues and subordinates, you can create a united atmosphere focusing on productivity and performance. Each member can harness leadership without having to collide with other members. Every person possesses traits and skills that benefit the entire business. No man becomes a liability in the process.

2. Customer Satisfaction. Reputation, ability to deliver and trust are the foundation of good business transactions. When you understand the needs of your customers, you can effectively cater to their demands; thus, they will only look to you for future endeavors and investments.

3. Adaptive to Change. If each person in the business knows his potential and strengths, he will be more inclined to develop. Change is inevitable in business but what's more important is that you are always prepared for new challenges.

4. Cooperation. There is respect from the top to the bottom levels of the business. Each member is responsible for the response of the next. This way, there are fewer feuds and personal conflicts.

5. Model. Since models serve as the basis of behavior and ways of thinking, everyone in the business will possess good traits in and out of the workplace.

SUMMARY of NLP Neuro-linguistic Programming

In summary, NLP is a process that aims for personal development. It is a system that makes use of your subjective experiences, beliefs, perceptions and ways of communication. Since you have been creating your own outlook on yourself and the world, there still are some principles that need to be changed in order to ensure your positive progress. Some of your beliefs may seem right in your own understanding but are truly hindrances to success. Changing your false perception and shifting it into a more positive view will improve your behavior and way of responding to other people. NLP uses a variety of approaches and techniques that allow you to see yourself in a different way. Usually, NLP makes use of your mind as a canvass for your own "painting" or personal understanding. You can place old and negative ones on it to be erased while allowing yourself to picture new and more encouraging thoughts and emotions. Time visualization is also a valuable tool in NLP as you picture yourself in the future with your new behavior and observing how it positively or adversely affects your life. Through modeling and creating your very own representations to follow, you will be able to boost good behavior and thoughts while reducing or completely eliminating bad ones. Once you have acquired the skills and techniques to effectively become a better and more aware individual, you will be able to influence others in the same way, thus making your environment conducive to further growth and development.

NLP FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1. Why was the system named Neuro-linguistic Programming? The term "neuro" refers to the brain, which controls behavior and actions and stores memory and experiences. "Linguistic" comes from language, so "neuro-linguistic" basically is how language affects the brain. Words, non-verbal cues and symbols can trigger your own response to the world. This mechanism is analogous to a computer program, hence the name "Neuro-linguistic Programming". The founders of the system were also proficient in computer programming and linguistics.

2. Why use NLP? There are no universal guidelines to follow when understanding your experience. Your mind has stored both negative and positive memories, which provoke various behaviors in response to all kinds of experiences. The negative memories adversely affect your perception, which is why you have to bring them to awareness to be transformed. NLP uses objectivity and subjectivity, which means it helps you determine the best way to act and think.

3. Can NLP make me more creative? Yes. You have the freedom to put yourself in any situation you wish to help you draw out your hidden characteristics on the subconscious level. You can include the strategies and modify yourself to become a stronger individual. NLP basically is a creative tool that lets you explore everything inside of you. Since you're using your mind, the possibilities are endless.

4. How long does it take before you notice the effects of NLP? The effects of NLP can be noticed as immediately as after one session. It really depends on the issues at hand, your cooperation and your determination to recover. You have to be able to mentally and emotionally prepare yourself so that sessions will be more meaningful. There is no pre-ordained timetable that expects you to achieve a certain level at some point in time, because all perceptions and issues are different. You may have the same problem as another individual but with a different subjective view. These factors affect the effects and length of treatment.

5. Is NLP only for certain individuals? No. NLP has been used for several years by all kinds of people. It has been used to restore relationships, improve work performance, reduce language barriers and boost self-confidence. The applications of NLP have been increasing in number throughout the years. Business owners use it to guarantee productivity and competence. Teachers use NLP to harness their students' potential and apply the best learning methods. Parents incorporate it in the home to better understand the needs of each member.

6. How can NLP make me a good leader? The strategies and models of NLP have everything you need to be an effective leader. As a leader, you have to be able to understand the language of your subordinates. You can achieve this by incorporating the methods that NLP is known for. Calibrate the needs and capabilities of your members, be creative, initiate useful activities, maintain rapport with good communication skills and be calm in critical situations by fostering a positive attitude.

7. How can you increase your knowledge of NLP? NLP is continuously growing and developing. You can learn more about the basic processes and keep updated on the trends by various means. Read books on NLP; there are several good ones focusing on particular areas such as education, relationship help and personal development. The Internet is also rich with information and updates. You can find an NLP Practitioner or Trainer to experience the system first-hand. There are also seminars and training sessions if you want to be fully involved or become a professional.

8. What are the NLP Practitioner standards? A minimum of 160 hours is the time standard for NLP Practitioners. It is also strictly advised that when incorporating NLP, you should be aware of the process since NLP is principally concerned with process. Be careful about methods and persons that say they practice NLP but highly focus on content.

9. Can NLP and hypnosis work together? Yes. NLP and hypnosis together provide a definite behavioral change by creating a mental state conducive to creating good traits while removing bad ones. The two modalities interact and work well with each other. NLP clears the mind, which makes hypnosis more effective.

10. If a bad behavior is removed in NLP, is it permanent? No. Everything you store in your mind is still based on subjective experience, which is how you responded to the situation. If a similar experience happens again, you can either store it again in a way that triggers bad behavior or react in a more positive manner.