After doing this for a very long time, I’ve amassed quite the coaching “collection” to tackle the stuff my clients are dealing with. It’s a lot like that bag Mary Poppins carries around. In it, I’ve got coats to make you feel warm, umbrellas to cover you, and cups of hot cocoa to nourish and sustain. I have uppers and downers (so to speak) and I also have NLP. NLP stands for Neuro-Linguistic Programming, and it takes up a tidy little corner of that bag. There is a permanent indentation in there because it is with me wherever I go.
I know that NLP and NLP coaching gets mixed reviews. That’s fine; I don’t know of anything that has a 100% perfect rating unless we’re talking about hot chocolate again. But even with that example, some folks are going to need non-dairy milk, or real whipped cream, or agave instead of sugar. Those preferences make us who we are; they are just another way in which we are special. In my years of working with Neuro-Linguistic Programming, however, I can tell you that it is a tremendously helpful tool for most of my clients. Why?
What is NLP?
Let’s back up and start swimming in the shallow end of the pool. We’ll go deeper soon enough.
Neuro-Linguistic Programming was developed in the 1970s at UCSC. Blah blah blah, fast forward, and now NLP can be applied to just about any scenario in which we have to communicate; perhaps one where aren’t quite hitting the bullseye with our message. Communication issues can develop anywhere. The boardroom, the bedroom, you name it. (These two examples are much more tightly connected than you’d like to think, by the way.)
First, we figure out your communication style. Are you big on speeches and inspiration? Does confrontation make your hands sweat? Perhaps you are a meek little mouse at home and a roaring go-getter at work. What is delightfully comforting about NLP is what it demonstrates: Who you are, and the way you behave is all happening for a REASON.
Neuro Linguistic Programming Techniques at Work
Does any of the stuff below apply to you?
- There is a disconnect between how I want to be seen, and how people see me.
- I am crippled with self-doubt before making a big decision.
- I want to have a heart-to-heart with someone I love, but I have no idea how to do it.
- I had a conversation with a coworker yesterday; today, they are doing the opposite of what I asked.
- I can’t stop with the little white lies.
- I spend hours every day on my phone, and I think it’s affecting my job and my home life.
These are just a few scenarios in which NLP can lend a hand. If we’re sticking with the pool analogy, it’s like learning to float. Kicking and flinging your hands around is great, but at some point, you have to learn to hold still and listen to what your mind is telling you.
NLP Coaching
I am an NLP coach (among many other things). This means something different to each one of my clients, but I can tell you what they have in common — this method works. I’ve seen real and tangible changes in MINUTES. The results truly speak for themselves. And I say that not because I’m giving anyone an award for tackling their challenges. They give it to themselves! It is magical to see clients — who have become friends — begin to pull together their communication issues and use them to propel forward instead of sideways, backward . . . or sink like they were doing before.
There is a point, in swim class, when your teacher lets go. You are hurtling forward and often you don’t even notice that your only support has slipped away. You reach the wall, wipe the water off of your face, and begin slowly to smile. In your work with me, that’s the moment you will recognize how far you have come and how much you can do on your own. It never gets old for me, and I get chills just thinking about it. Then, I pack up my bag of wonders and head off to the next person in need of some solid NLP guidance.
