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“You can’t run a business like that.” Someone once told me. This kind of challenge (I.e being told what I can’t do) seems to switch on my ‘yippee’ gene, a circuit in my brain starts buzzing and yells at me “why not?”. Then, lots of questions, doubts, negative thoughts (left brain stuff). Then perhaps, I think, “if I can’t do it like that it ain’t worth doing” , part of me might as well die because I won’t feel alive if I don’t do it.

So recognising an impending death I let go (my two favourite words), drop into a deeper expansive space and think “what if ….” (Right brain).

Then wonderful, crazy and usually very successful solutions happen. (Bye the way, this is mindfulness, just in case you ‘business’ people thought that was wishy washy rubbish)). And I might find mentors, sponsors and resources suddenly appear to support me (this is called synchronicity). Like Mrs Satir:

“Feelings of worth can flourish only in an atmosphere where individual differences are appreciated, mistakes are tolerated, communication is open, and rules are flexible – the kind of atmosphere that is found in a nurturing family. ”
Virginia Satir

For any individual, nothing matters more than self worth. If you can give someone that (like a good parent does) you have given them the world. And if your people have that you will have an unbeatable business.

I run my business like a satir family, our people are or will be shareholders (it’s ‘ours’ not ‘mine’), I empower and step back, we accept acknowledge each others weaknesses and honour applaud strengths and use the latter to overcome the former. And, each seeing what the other yet cannot, we expect high standards of each other, raise the bar so we can leap higher than we thought possible (eriksons ‘latent potential).

So whatever is responsible for my ‘Yippee’ Gene – perhaps the local pub growing up in a working class area (the ‘Y knot’) or that vivid day 9yrs old at school given my first ever ‘project’ ( go out, read books, research, think for yourself, find out about the world … Yipppeeee went my brain!) – thank you!

Robert Dilts, one of the co-founders of NLP, has recently posted an informative article on the topic of modeling.  Dilts says in his article, “Anyone who claims to know or care about NLP is aware that the process of modeling is the life blood of the field. The origin of NLP and its continued evolution come from the ability of NLP practitioners to model the verbal, cognitive and behavioral patterns (the “neuro-linguistic programs”) of exceptional people. It is frequently pointed out that the basis of NLP is modeling and not the “trail of techniques” that have been left in its wake.”

Within the realms of NLP there are two ‘schools’ of modeling – two distinctions – as prefered by the likes of John Grinder. Like Dilts, I tend to use the analytical modeling framework; although I have a passion for what I refer to as ‘implicit modeling’ and actually use a combination of both in my work. Yet there is also what Dilts refers to as ‘pure NLP modeling’ – this is the implicit or non-impositional form of modeling.

The difference resides principally in the degree of imposition of the perceptual and analytic categories of the modeler during the modeling process. – in the case of NLP modeling, the imposition is minimal; in the case of Analytic modeling, the imposition is maximal.

Read Dilts A Proposed Distinction for Neuro-Linguistic Programming article here.

Listen to our podcast to hear about our approach to modeling:

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Found out more about Changeworks Communication on our revamped website.

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In the final part of my interview with David Gordon, he talks about the application of this phenomenal technique in organisations. What are the characteristics of good modelers? Modeling is both art and science (in my mind).  This requires a level of skill and training (in particular a high level of expertise in NLP and questioning/listening (coaching helps too).  So it is quite an investment in learning that many are not willing to take. Creating the case for modeling in the corporate arena is not straightforward, however once they get involved they see the vast benefits and rewards that this technique offers for organisational learning.

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Changeworks Blog

I recently attended David Gordon’s advanced modeling course at the Northern School of NLP.  David Gordon is one of the founders of neuro linguistic programming and has spent more than 30 years developing the field of modeling.  In this 12 min interview (part 1 of 3) David explains what modeling is, what behaviours can be modeled and why modeling is important. 

You can find out more about David’s work and his new book ‘Expanding your World’ on http://expandyourworld.net/