Practical NLP Podcast

This week we have the second half of an interview that we did about how to apply the principles or ‘presuppositions’ of NLP to improve your life and work.

In the first half we explored the principle that “The map is not the territory”. In this interview we look at another principle that flows naturally from that one: “Respect for the other person’s map of the world”.

Among other things, we talk about:

Why you can't change someone's mind unless you start from where they are now

The importance of establishing credibility in a business context

If you focus too much on achieving a desired outcome from every communication, you will miss out on more open conversations where both parties learn from each other.

Appreciative Inquiry, a method of change that focuses on doing more of what is already working rather than trying to analyse problems, and the difference that can make in your life (OK it's not NLP but it's worth knowing about)

How to use the ‘scaling’ tool from the related field of Solution Focus in coaching and self-improvement (also not NLP, also worth knowing about)

How to use ‘chunking’ to overcome inertia

... and much more!

My interviewer is NLP coach Deb Johnstone, and the interview was originally conducted as part of her ‘Better Balance Greater Business’ summit - contact her at debjohnstone.com.au to find out more about that.

The free gift she mentions is my audiobook Practical NLP: How to use NLP principles to improve your life and work, even if you’re not NLP trained yet - download it from nlppod.com!

More about the 'Respect For The Other Person's Map Of The World' presupposition

More about establishing your credibility

More about outcome-focused persuasion versus learning conversations here: 'Is NLP Manipulative?'

More about how to use scaling questions

More about Appreciative Inquiry here - I run a two-day course in how to get started with using it in group facilitation or one-to-one coaching.

Duration: 25m 40s

Listen and/or subscribe to this podcast via Apple Podcasts here

If you want to subscribe using something other than Apple Podcasts (e.g. if you have an Android phone), here’s the feed: https://nlppod.com/feed/podcast/

Finally, it would really help me out if you review the podcast on Apple Podcasts to raise its profile so more people can benefit from it! Thanks.

This week’s episode is something a bit different. Instead of me interviewing a prominent member of the NLP community, it’s someone interviewing me – about the principles or ‘presuppositions’ of NLP and how you can use them to be more effective in your life and work, even if you’re not NLP trained.

My interviewer is Deb Johnstone, an NLP coach based in Cairns City, Australia. Deb specialises in helping women business owners to achieve more with less stress, and to this end she put together the ‘Better Balance Greater Business’ summit, a series of video interviews with 23 experts, one of which was me.

You may have seen my messages and blog posts about this last month – it was a wonderful opportunity for people who signed up to get a lot of knowledge for free.

Now that the summit has finished, my interview has become available for release. I think it’s the best interview I’ve done so far.

This is the first half of the audio from the interview – if you want to see the video (it’s pretty much two ‘talking heads’), I have now put that up on my YouTube channel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kS2LQSpZTDE&t=3s

It was supposed to be a half-hour interview, but we ended up talking for over an hour. That’s a bit long for a podcast (or longer than my listeners are used to anyway) so this episode is part one, with part two coming next week.

This episode is all about the most important (in my view) presupposition of NLP, the idea that ‘the map is not the territory’.

In other words, what you are experiencing right now, your reality, is not actually the real world around you, but a filtered and partial representation of it, that bears the same relation to objective reality as a map does to the territory that it represents.

Most people confuse the map with the territory. In the interview, we talk about the various problems that can cause, and how to avoid those problems.

To explore this topic further, you may be interested in the earlier article about this presupposition, the story of ‘The Ultimate Map’, and of course my free audiobook ‘Practical NLP: how to use NLP principles to improve your life and work, even if you're not NLP trained’ that covers this and the other 'presuppositions' of NLP in depth.

Duration: 31m 16s

Listen and/or subscribe to this podcast via Apple Podcasts here

If you want to subscribe using something other than Apple Podcasts (e.g. if you have an Android phone), here’s the feed: https://nlppod.com/feed/podcast/

Finally, it would really help me out if you review the podcast on Apple Podcasts to raise its profile so more people can benefit from it! Thanks.

I don’t want to make a habit of this, but here’s a couple of special offers for Practical NLP Podcast listeners – and one of them’s free!.

The first is me being interviewed by success coach Deb Johnstone about how to apply NLP principles for more success in your life and business. You can only get this interview by signing up at http://bit.ly/bbgb-andy – and you also get interviews with 20 other experts, including my good friend Gavin Ingham who I’ve mentioned a couple of times on the podcast, around the general topic of getting more done with less stress.

The second is a training course coming up soon in London with Michael Perez. If you are a therapist or hypnotherapist and you want to go a bit beyond NLP to incorporate the latest findings in neuroscience into your toolkit, Michael is your guy!

The course is called ‘The Neuron Code’ and it’s in London on October 13-15 and and 20-22. Yes, this coming week, so get a move on!

Colleagues of mine whose opinions I respect have been on this course and come back raving about it. Plus, if you mention my name when you book, you’ll get a whole £100 off.

Go to http://neuroncode.com to get everything you need to know!

That’s it, have a great week!

This week's episode is an interview with LAB Profile® queen Shelle Rose Charvet - with a very special offer included!

One of the most respected figures in NLP, (and probably the most entertaining speaker), and bestselling author, Shelle has been researching and using the LAB Profile® (a more user-friendly development of metaprograms) for over 25 years.

In our conversation, we discover:

how Shelle got into NLP

what she's excited about in the field now

the existence of software that can analyse people's LAB Profile patterns from their emails and tell you how to reply in a way that matches their patterns

why the LAB Profile is not about putting people in boxes

how to recruit proactive people

a tip for influencing 'internally referenced' people that won't put off 'externally referenced' people

... and much more!

Special offer for podcast listeners - valid until 16 April 2018:

Take the Online LAB Practitioner certification course for half price - visit this link to check it out and should you decide to go ahead, use the coupon code FROMANDY50% (I am taking this course myself and I can confirm that it's really useful and high quality)

Sites Shelle mentions in the podcast:

The NLP Research and Recognition Project

The NLP Leadership Summit

Books by Shelle:

If you are at all interested in NLP, you probably have Shelle's first book, Words That Change Minds: Mastering The Language Of Influence, already (and if you haven't read it yet, I highly recommend it).

Shelle tells me that her second book, The Customer Is Bothering Me, is really the one that the NLP reader will be interested in, as it takes the insights of the LAB Profile to the next level (which has given me the nudge I needed to finally start reading it myself).

Duration: 43m 29s

Listen and/or subscribe to this podcast via Apple Podcasts here

If you want to subscribe using something other than Apple Podcasts (e.g. if you have an Android phone), here’s the feed: https://nlppod.com/feed/podcast/

Only the most recent 10 episodes of the podcast are available free on Apple Podcasts. You can download back episodes (with transcripts!) from the online store.

Finally, it would really help me out if you review the podcast on Apple Podcasts to raise its profile so more people can benefit from it! Thanks

This week's guest is the inspirational Gemma Bailey!

Gemma is an NLP trainer and director of NLP4Kids - a company which specialises in bringing NLP to children, their families and schools to help them with mild to moderate mental health and emotional challenges.

With a background in childcare Gemma has translated NLP into child friendly language for delivery by over 20 NLP4Kids practitioners who are working throughout the UK and soon to be overseas too.

Among other things, Gemma talks about how she got NLP4Kids started, why parents and teachers need NLP skills too, and she talks us through her 'Path of Life' technique for getting kids to take a responsible look at their future choices (download the instructions here). And, of course, loads more!

If you're interested in training as an NLP4Kids practitioner, here's the information about it that Gemma mentions. There are more links to useful information with the Path of Life instructions.

The Superheroes non-profit that Gemma mentions has a Facebook page.

Duration: 47m 27s

Listen and/or subscribe to this podcast via Apple Podcasts here

If you want to subscribe using something other than Apple Podcasts (e.g. if you have an Android phone), here’s the feed:  https://nlppod.com/feed/podcast/

Finally, it would really help me out if you review the podcast on Apple Podcasts to raise its profile so more people can benefit from it! Thanks

This week's interview is with a real innovator in NLP, my old friend and occasional mentor Jonathan Altfeld, international NLP trainer and developer of Genius Mapping and many other useful tools and patterns.

In the interview, Jonathan shares with us an important distinction that will make you a better coach, therapist or even mechanic: the difference between inductive and deductive reasoning, and when to use each. He also recommends some of the people he thinks are doing really worthwhile and original work in NLP, how working in different cultures makes you a better NLP trainer, and why you need to select your first NLP course and trainer carefully (with a couple of pointers on how to do that).

Here's the link to Jonathan's article explaining the difference between inductive and deductive reasoning:

How to Rock Two Different Styles of Reasoning, and Why

If you are inspired to train with Jonathan, here are his upcoming courses.

Finally, it would really help me out if you review the podcast on Apple Podcasts and/or anywhere else you can leave a review to raise its profile so more people can benefit from it. Thanks in advance!

This episode marks a new direction for the Practical NLP Podcast! Up to now we've been talking you through various aspects of NLP in a structured way - essentially the episodes build up into an audio home study pack for an NLP Practitioner course (contact me if you'd like to license them for your own Practitioner courses).

From now on, I'll be interviewing various stars of the NLP field - people I rate and admire. The episodes will be quite a bit longer - rather than the 10 minutes or so of most of the episodes so far, we could go up to an hour.

A couple of weeks ago I was running some corporate trainings in Malaysia, so while I was in a closer time zone than usual to Australia I took the opportunity to interview someone I've wanted to talk with for a long time - Melbourne-based NLP trainer and innovator James Tsakalos.

James is somewhat unusual in the NLP field these days because he runs super in-depth NLP Practitioner trainings that are 28 days long! He's also developed some exciting new approaches, notably Spiral Somatics.

Our conversation ranged far and wide, covering among other things:

Why it's not easy to choose an NLP Practitioner course until you've already had quite a lot of experience of NLP, so you just have to hope you get lucky unless you do some research beforehand

Who James really admires in the NLP field

A great process for making perfect choices - the 'Trousers of Time'! (process notes to follow but James explains the steps pretty clearly in the podcast)

Why reading Terry Pratchett's books about witches is a great preparation for being an effective NLP Practitioner

Duration: 46m 28s

Listen and/or subscribe to this podcast via Apple Podcasts here

If you want to subscribe using something other than Apple Podcasts (e.g. if you have an Android phone), here’s the feed:  https://nlppod.com/feed/podcast/

Links to some of the things we mentioned in the conversation:

Jonathan Altfeld's Knowledge EngineeringNotes for running the Trousers of Time process (to follow)

Where to catch James running a course in the near future:NLP in MelbourneSpiral Somatics in MelbourneSpiral Somatics in IndiaSpiral Somatics in DubaiSpiral Somatics in the UK

Books mentioned in this episode:

Spiral Dynamics by Don Beck and Chris Cowan

Books by Terry Pratchett

The SCORE model is not taught on that many NLP Practitioner courses, which is a shame as it's very useful in coaching and problem solving and doesn't require superhuman sensory acuity to use (although that helps of course).

This episode introduces the model and gives some sample questions and tips on how to use it successfully when coaching individuals.

In this week's podcast:

How Robert Dilts and Todd Epstein developed the SCORE model

Why it's better than the 'Present State to Desired State' model it evolved from

How the elements in the model relate to time

Sample questions for each element in the model

A brief description of a client breakthrough

... and much more!

For a fuller description, more tips, and how to use it with teams in a business setting and with an Appreciative Frame, get my little e-book How To Work With The SCORE Model, the first in the Practical Coaching Guides series.

This week, the end of an era as we come to the end of the 'scripted' Practical NLP Podcast episodes. From next episode we'll be switching to a longer format where I interview thought leaders and practitioners applying NLP in original ways to solve real-world problems.

So, a short and sweet episode in two parts. I show you a process you can use on the timeline to clear anxiety about an upcoming event. And for those of you who have been following the podcast since its early days (or who have bought and listened to the back episodes), I guide you through planning what you will use your NLP knowledge for in the future.

Clearing Anxiety Process

(Note: this is worded as you would say it to a client)

“Float up above the timeline and into the future to 15 minutes after the successful completion of the event about which you thought you were anxious. Tell me when you’re there.”

“Good. Turn and look back towards now.”

“Now, where’s the anxiety?”

“Come back to now, only as quickly as you learn what you need to learn from all of the actions you took took to prepare for the successful completion of that event.”

Test by thinking about the future event. "Where is that anxiety now? Try to feel it - what happens?"

This process works even better if unresolved fear has been cleared from the past timeline, but you should still notice a significant reduction in anxiety.

This episode also mentions the SYDER model for well-formed outcomes, which you can find in the show notes for episode 73.

How to listen to this Practical NLP Podcast Episode

Listen and/or subscribe to this podcast via Apple Podcasts here – and if you like the podcast, please leave a review!

If you want to subscribe using something other than Apple Podcasts (e.g. if you have an Android phone), here’s the feed:  https://nlppod.com/feed/podcast/

Or, simply listen online using the player embedded in this post, or download the episode.

Duration: 04m 20s

If you like the podcast, please review it on Apple Podcasts. Even if you’re not an Apple Podcasts subscriber yourself, that’s where most people still find their podcasts, so that’s where your review will make the most difference.

If you’re currently studying or on a training course, this guided visualization MP3 is for you!

Originally developed as part of the forthcoming NLP Practitioner home study pack, it’s designed to help you review and integrate everything you’ve learned on any course or training that you’re undertaking.

Find out more and download Using Your Timeline For Learning And Review here

Having elicited the timeline in the previous episode, this week we take it for a 'test drive'.

In this week's episode:

Two ways people may experience their timeline - as moving or static

Step by step instructions for how to guide people through this exercise (also see the show notes below)

Why this also works as an instant relaxation and clarity exercise

... and much more!

If you're doing any kind of timeline emotional clearing (e.g. Time Line Therapy) that involves the client 'floating' above their timeline, this exercise is very helpful in flushing out any little 'blocks' that might get in the way.

The two most common are "I can't float up above my timeline", which I have found is usually caused by the client viewing time something that moves past them while they stay still (like a river, or traffic on a road) rather than something still that they move along, like a canal or the road itself. The process outlined here preframes this 'objection' out by suggesting they can float above the timeline, or they may prefer to stay still while the timeline sinks away below them. The end result - gaining vertical distance from the timeline - is the same.

The other commonly heard 'block' becomes apparent when you ask the client to float back a short way towards the direction of the past, and they find that they can't float in that direction. You can usually help them get over this (literally) by asking them to float up as high as they need to until they can float in that direction - the implication being that they are rising above the metaphorical block. As many emotional clearing processes involve floating back towards the past above the timeline, it is best to find out if there is any problem floating back during the preliminary 'test drive', rather than waiting until you're conducting the actual intervention.

Here's the wording that I use for 'test driving' the timeline. In the second paragraph of step 1, for precision I am assuming the listener is familiar with the NLP meaning of 'associated' - if your client isn't familiar with NLP (as most real-world clients won't be) I would say something like "It's important that you're looking down on the timeline through your own eyes". The 'induction' is in italics, explanatory asides (in step 6) are in normal text :

Close your eyes and float up above the timeline to a height at which you are completely comfortable. Or, you may want to stay where you are and let the timeline sink away below you - in either case, just get some vertical distance between yourself and the timeline. It’s important that you're associated into floating above the timeline rather than watching yourself. Now float up even higher - way up high - and notice what happens as you do.

Now turn towards the past, staying at the same comfortable hight, and float a short distance in that direction.

Now float a similar short distance towards the direction of the future.

And come back to above now and practice floating up a little and down a little and notice what happens as you do. Notice the difference between this experience and your normal everyday experience as you went about your life down at timeline level.

And now bring back everything you liked about that sensation as you come back down to now, back into the room, and when your unconscious mind is ready to move on to the next stage you can open your eyes.

And “Welcome back” (which of course presupposes that you've been somewhere). What was that like - in particular, how did it compare with normal everyday experience? Most people will say they felt “calm” or “detached” - this is what we are looking for.

How to listen to Practical NLP Podcast Episode 76: How To Test-Drive Your Timeline

Listen and/or subscribe to this podcast via Apple Podcasts here – and if you like the podcast, please leave a review!

If you want to subscribe using something other than Apple Podcasts (e.g. if you have an Android phone), here’s the feed:  https://nlppod.com/feed/podcast/

Or, simply listen online using the player embedded in this post, or download the episode.

Duration: 07m 56s

If you like the podcast, please review it on Apple Podcasts. Even if you’re not an Apple Podcasts subscriber yourself, that’s where most people still find their podcasts, so that’s where your review will make the most difference.

If you’re currently studying or on a training course, this guided visualization MP3 is for you!Originally developed as part of the forthcoming NLP Practitioner home study pack, it’s designed to help you review and integrate everything you’ve learned on any course or training that you’re undertaking.Find out more and download Using Your Timeline For Learning And Review here