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Analyzing language and behavior in Top Performers

and its uses in the employment area


Patrick E. Merlevede, M.Sc
This paper has been written for the International Colloquium on New Technologies
based Learning and Employment Support, held in Belgium from 17 to 19 September
1997. This colloquium was a joint project from the Laboratory for Applied
Epistemology of the University of Gent and the Laboratory for Cognitive Sciences
from the University of Mons - Hainaut.
Introduction
From someone's language in an interview, we can successfully predict how he or she
will behave in a given situation. The main idea is to analyze the top performers in the
company for the structure behind their excellence and to use this structure for the
employment of other persons that have a similar job profile. Several series of tests
have been developed in recent years for this purpose. This paper discusses the tests
that are based on the Motivation Traits and Working Traits, coming from the field of
Neuro-Linguistics. It will show how to use these tests to recruit people, to coach them
and to train them, based on the knowledge from the company itself.
The theory behind the model
Neuro-Linguistic modeling is derived from the fields of Cognitive Science. It was
started in the early 70's at the Santa Cruz Campus of the University of California,
where scientists of the different fields worked side by side. Among other things, it
applies research methodology from cognitive psychology and techniques from
knowledge acquisition for building models.
In fact, a "problem" of AI & Cognitive Science is that they try to make abstraction of
physics or biology, by mapping human thinking on machines. For building
applications, we can use the results of research without this "abstraction", since we
intend to apply to humans anyway! However, following the example of AI and
Cognitive Science, we stress on the structure of the cognitive processes.
Neuro-Linguistic Modeling
Definition: Neuro-Linguistic Modeling consists in using tools that have their origins in
AI and Cognitive Science research with the goal of making a model of excellent
behavior, for transfer to other persons.
Its technology basis comes from combining linguistics, AI & Neurology, more specific:
• the theories of transactional grammar as developped by Chomsky and as
represented in Santa Cruz by people such as professor John Grinder;
• the area of systems thinking, as started by Korzybski and extended by
Bateson, known from the School of Palo Alto, but residing at Santa Cruz in the
70s;
• the field of cognitive science with persons as Miller, whose models have been
put into practice for Neuro-Linguistic Modeling.
Based on structure, not content
When companies hire people, manage them or train them, they mostly focus on the
content. This content will be typically different from person to person, which
complicates the situation. For instance, examples given in a training often do not
apply to the particular situation the participant finds himself in, and it is difficult to
find out how to convert the principle behind the example so that it can be applies. In
stead, Neuro-Linguistics focuses on the structure that is the same. In the training, we
will stress on the principles, and explore how to apply them with the participants.
Below, we explain which structure elements are taken into account.
For analyzing language and for bringing the person closer to the actual experience,
we use 3 types of questions, based on 15 language patterns discovered by Chomsky
(1965) and Grinder (1973). The first type of questions helps us to question
unspecified nouns, the second type serves for finding out what is behind unspecified
verbs and a third range of questions explores the limit of the world-view of the person
for a specific context (modal operators). The language-patterns used by persons on
itself is a structure as well, and will sometimes be considered as being a part of the
model.
For analyzing behavior we combine a set of models, such as the13 meta-programs
(with sub-classes as Motivational and Working Traits), 6 eye-movements, 6 logical
levels and the 4 perceptual positions. Explaining these models goes beyond the
scope of this paper, and I'd like to refer the reader to the book of Joseph O' Connor:
"Introducing NLP" for more details. The expertise is analyzed using all the dimensions
these models offer, both for an expert and for a less experienced person. By
comparison, we find the meaningful differences between an expert(s) and the other
person(s).
The resulting significant parameters that are withheld are grouped according to the
principles of the TOTE and SCORE models. These are 2 models for planning and
problem solving. The TOTE model is based upon the feedback loop as worked out in
1960 by Miller, Galanter & Pribram in their book "Plans and the Structure of
Behavior".
Sometimes content is taken into account. In that case, it is considered like filling out
the structure-model.
The quality of a model is evaluated by the predictability of the results (will someone
applying the model get the same results as the expert, within the scope of the
model?) and by the simplicity of the model (can the model be explained in less tan 7
steps, does it only include the elements that make a difference, or does it involve
complex steps?).
Given the number of parameters to be considered, the complexity of modeling is
quite high. Ways to handle the complexity is by making video-tapes of the interviews
and the demonstrations given by the expert and the other subjects. Training a
modeler requires at least the equivalent of 300 course-hours of theory and practice.
In the rest of this document we will show some possible applications of modeling in
the employment area, explain a typical project approach and give an example for
programming. For the example we will only expand on some of the Motivational and
Working Traits
Possible Applications for Employment Support
The basic instrument for deciding which patterns are withheld, is a contrast analysis
between the successful persons and the less successful ones. This contrast analysis
is based on the SCORE-model for problem solving, where we differentiate between
symptoms, causes, outcomes and effects. The resources, used to get from the
problem space to the solution space, show the patterns we are after. For this, we use
the TOTE model to further analyze the person's actions. The quality of a model
increases with the number of excellent examples taken into consideration, where
practice has shown that 3 well-chosen examples are enough to get a good model of
one person.
Recruitment: Personnel Selection
The principle of that we want to find similar patterns in the persons we want to
recruit as the patterns the model(s) show us. The critical patterns are the patterns
shown by all the experts and not present in the counter-examples. If critical patterns
are not present in a candidate, this is a serious counter-indication to hiring him for
this specific function, unless we have indications that it will take an acceptable
amount of training and coaching for the person to use the desired patterns.
Training: Transfer of excellence
While training, we want to install similar patterns in the students as the patterns
shown by the model. The contrast analysis teaches us which patterns have to be
included in the training material. Often, the person already uses the patterns we
want to install, only in other contexts than the work context we want him to use the
patterns in. If this is the case, often exercises in which the patterns are used as a
demonstration will be sufficient to switch on the patterns. Sometimes, some beliefs of
the person will show up and help us find what stops him from using the patterns. If
beliefs form a blockade, the severity of the blockade will help predict the chances this
person has to become successful in the context.
Coaching/Managing:
Here we want to adapt the person so that he shows more of the effective patterns, in
which we focus on his weak spots, compared to model. In the coaching process, we
use the person’s language and behavior structure as a "manual" on how to adapt the
manager so that he will get the best results with this particular employee. If the
coaching requires getting through some serious blockades, the line between coaching
and therapy becomes a very thin one. In these cases, because of the boundary
between professional and personal life, we would suggest the person to find
therapeutic help or find a job better adapted to the patterns he is comfortable with.
Also, while managing a person, we check if the performance parameters, as well as
the other criteria used to evaluate the person are compatible with the patterns we
want to see in the person's behavior. For instance, if I am managing an airline, and I
want a co-pilot to correct the mistakes a pilot makes, I'd better know that the typical
line of command makes it difficult or the co-pilot to give "negative feedback" to the
pilot, unless I add a specific evaluation instrument that judges the co-pilot on the
detection of a number of "deliberate" errors the pilot was instructed to make.
Some companies will give the function of coach to another person than the manager.
This often makes it easier to get through some barrier during the coaching process. I
do advise that this kind of coaching is done with the same kind of ethical code one
expects from a therapist.
Typical Approach
A typical project starts by identifying the context where the excellence is needed,
together with the criteria used to decide upon the excellence of the behavior. The
criteria of excellence play the role of an objective measurement instrument. This
means that we often have to improve the criteria if objectivity is not sufficiently
guaranteed.
Based on this information, we proceed by selecting one or several experts as well as
a group of counter-examples. Once this is done, we can start the actual modeling of
the excellent language and behavior patterns. Modeling gives the best results if we
can observe the experts while they are active in the context to be modeled. We often
observe a difference between the patterns of a person talking about a context and
the same person in the context. When life observation is impractical or too
expensive, we simulate the context or we try to get information that is quite accurate
involving Ericksonian techniques. To increase the accuracy of the modeling, we want
to get 3 successful cases and 3 unsuccessful cases from each subject participating in
the modeling.
Use the results
We can use the results of a modeling project in several area's of the human resources
field, such as recruitment, training and management, but its effect will be the best if
we combine the applications in several area's. In this section, we describe how to
apply the results of the modeling in 3 typical area's:
Work out profile & Use profile for selection
From the model of excellence, we know which structural parameters and patterns are
important for getting results in the context. In stead of focussing on the experience of
the person, we use these parameters and patterns as the "job-profile". Also, we can
derive specific profiling tools. Especially if the number of candidates or the number of
positions to fill is large, we can derive a specific questionnaire that will test for the
profile. The persons in charge of the selection are trained to use the profile and the
profiling tools.
Work out training material to pass on the knowledge of the model
Again we start from the model of excellence and the contrast analysis. The training
design focuses on bridging the differences between the current behavior and the
desired behavior. This is applicable to new hirees as well as to the average performer.
The result of the training will be evaluated using the criteria of excellence, by
measuring the criteria over a period before and after the training, thus given an
objective measure for the result of the training.
Educate the manager and coach
We train the manager and the coach to use the model. Essentially, we teach the skills
needed to detect the wanted patterns and how to get to them.
Example: Excellence in Programming
For this paper, we select an application of meta-programs (also called perceptual
filters), one the current Neuro-Linguistic Models, to illustrate how it helps to make a
good model for hiring, training and managing software programmers. Of course, as
explained before, we will consider other parameters when building a complete model.
Note: what is the "best" programmer for a company, may differ based on the
demands the company has about a programmer job-profile, and on how they rate the
results. As such, what is a good programmer for one company may differ with the
profile of a good programmer for another company. Also notice that the typical job
content has its influence: does the programmer also do the analysis, does he/she do
the testing, … ?
Modeling: find desired perceptual filters
Modeling will give the answer to the following questions: "How do the perceptual
filters of the person work? How does a person address structure, context and
process? How does he sort and attend to information?" Also, we will fund out which
kinds of filters are the most advantageous for the job.
The way to find out which meta-programs are the best, is by testing some successful
persons for their response to questions about these perceptual filters. From these
answers, we can distinguish which filters are the most influential.

Metaprogram Categories
http://www.jobeq.com/categories.php
The iWAM questionnaire measures an individual's attitudes and motivations within
the context of the workplace. This test includes 48 metaprogram parameters, which
are the series of mental filters which determine how one behaves what one pays
attention to during observation. This page is an explanation of which metaprograms
the iWAM measures. Each of the 48 parameters is measured and rated separately,
but for simplicity we have grouped them here under 15 headers (some categories
have the technical name in brackets):

1. Action Level
The end of the 20th Century showed an incredible boom in venture capital
investment. Almost anyone with an idea could find funding to start an Internet-based
company. They were the good old days for entrepreneurs. This period valued
enormously proactive behavior: the idea was to be first, start a company and execute
the idea, before anyone else would. Getting funding sometimes was a matter of days,
with the entrepreneur choosing the venture capital to work with. Compare this with
the conservative attitude of most bankers. They wait until a company comes with a
well-organized proposal with a high probability of success. Even then the banker will
be asking additional guarantees. The total time to get a loan approved may become
months. Some say that if the procedures are followed by the book, a bank will only
give a loan to companies that don't need it.
What's the difference between the two kinds of funding? Speed and Risk are two
important parameters. Venture capital investment is very proactive; speed is the key.
The expected market return and the number of investments was seen as the way to
spread the risk: if one out of 10 funded companies succeeded and was introduced to
the stock market, the VC investor is content. A banker is more reactive: speed is not
important; certainty (no risks) is the key. A banker takes the time to thing through
each aspect of the credit decision.
One can ask similar questions for each individual. Is a person proactive or reactive?
How fast does the person start taking action? How much patience does this person
have?

2. Priorities and Focus [Action Direction]


Some jobs, such as sales, are goal-oriented. A salesperson will get a target volume of
sales to obtain for the next year (or even week). Their income is often linked to this
target, which serves as a motivator for a good salesperson. Other jobs such as a
helpdesk are more focused on solving problems. The job of the computer helpdesk is
done if all problems are solved. One might say that the "goal" is "no problems". In the
first type of job, the action is oriented towards a goal. In the second type of job,
solving problems is the key.
The same categories can be applied to personal motivation. How well can a person
maintain focus on goals? Are they able to recognize the problems which would
interfere with obtaining these goals? How do they function in a "problem-oriented"
work environment?

3. Decision-Making [Evaluation Reference]


When Walt Disney set out to create Disney World in Florida, banks didn't like the idea.
Walt wasn't really surprised; after all, he had had enough problems financing the first
color movies and the movies that integrated sound. He didn't consider it as his job to
come with ideas that would please his bankers. After all, what does the banker know
about the entertainment industry? Often, entrepreneurs succeed because they keep
believing in their idea, and whatever other persons do tell them, they keep going
until they succeed. For other jobs, such as customer desk at a Marriott hotel or a
complaints desk at Southwest Airlines, the opposite is true. What counts are the
customer satisfaction ratings. Again both examples show 2 extremes of a
metaprogram category: Walt Disney evaluates his plans for himself. He knows what
he wants. This is called "internal reference". Marriot and Southwest Airlines refer to
the customer's evaluation. The customer is always right. This is known as "external
refercnce".
An internal referenced person that is also independent may want to be left alone
almost the first moment they are hired. They are better "managed by exception". If
their internal reference is strong, they will decide which external source they accept
as being "credible". A more external referenced person will prefer that their direct
manager checks in with them almost daily. Some will need recognition, either from
their boss or from their peers.
As we did before, we can apply the distinction to individuals. What are the sources of
motivation for a person? Does the person decide for himself or does he need others
to give advice or even make the decision?

4. Procedures and Options [Task Attitude]


We know a couple that owns a small training business. She is the main trainer, and is
really able to adapt her training content to the individuals in the room. In fact, before
starting the training, she is always considering how to adapt the materials so that
they will fit the group as well as possible. He doesn't like that too much - he believes
it's hard to sell the product if it changes all the time. Also, there is the time it takes to
customize the materials, making it difficult to bring out standard course handouts, or
to order a stack of workbooks from a printer. And of course, she refuses replacing the
overhead transparencies with a standard PowerPoint presentation. We can find
similar differences in other work areas. For instance, when an information analyst is
typically faced with incomplete data and plays out alternative scenarios to cope with
this, generating and testing different hypotheses. A bank clerk at the front desk has
to follow procedures rigorously: there is only one correct way to register money that a
customer withdraws from an account, for instance.
The contrast between these people reflects two possible task attitudes. Which of
these persons is following procedures? Which one prefers to generate alternatives?

5. Point of View [Task Orientation]


The higher one gets in the hierarchy of a company, the less time one has to work out
the details. Often when a manager keeps focusing on the details, it becomes difficult
to delegate, because one risks to be doing work that someone else could do. Instead
of doing the work, it is the job of a leader to keep the overview: to see how the work
of each person fits into the bigger picture, and how this whole delivers the results the
customer wants. Other jobs require people that are willing to work the details. For
instance, the bookkeeping needs to be correct to the last cent. A difference of one
cent may not seem important, but can hide several larger mistakes that compensate
each other "by coincidence". Similar distinguishments exist elsewhere. A computer
analyst should have the overview, collect the pieces of the puzzle while a
programmer needs to work out the details given all the pieces, which ends in writing
a functional program.
When working with information, what is the size of the pieces of information this
person naturally thinks about? Does he or she tend to work with large, medium-sized
or small pieces of data?

6. Body Language [Communication Sort]


In this metaprogram category, we distinguish between the content (the words) of the
communication and the non-verbal packaging of the communication. Indeed, we
communicate using several channels at once. The literature often groups these
channels into verbal and non-verbal. As long as the communication in the two
channels is "compatible," the non-verbal aspect is not important. However, from time
to time the communication is "incongruent," meaning what is said verbally is not
consistent with the non-verbal signals that accompany the message. Certain jobs,
like those in the legal sector are concentrating on the content: a judge should focus
on the facts, not on how it is said. However, as the O.J. Simpson case and Bill Clinton-
Monica Lewinski showed, the non-verbal aspect plays it's role in winning or losing a
lawsuit, especially if there is a jury. As is the case for other metaprograms, both jobs
and people will differ in their preferences concerning use of verbal and non-verbal
aspects of communication.
How is this person's communication organized? To what extend is the content of the
message dominating the communication? How much attention is given to the non-
verbal part of the communication? Are non-verbal signals used consciously, as a part
of the communication?

7. Social Contact [Work Environment Type]


On Microsoft's Redmond Campus, each person gets a private office, yet there is place
for sharing and collaboration. Other companies are known to put people together in
huge open offices. Not only should these open spaces help to promote teamwork,
savings are often cited as a key reason: an open space office can accommodate as
much as 50% more staff in the same space as separate offices. Cubicles are an
intermediate solution to get some of the space savings, while still giving some
privacy to people. A question few people ask is: "What is the most productive office
configuration for a certain type of work?" Once can distinguish between group space
and individual workspace. Microsoft chose for individual space, because it knows that
ITers are often more productive because they can better concentrate when they have
a private office. Putting ITers in large open spaces can result in a productivity drop of
50% or more. On the other hand, marketing people often profit from being around
with other marketing staff: it stimulates the creative cross-fertilization.
As you can infer from the previous paragraph, the work environment type
metaprogram category examines to what degree a person wants to work alone or
with other people around. Does he or she want social contact or not?

8. Distribution of Responsibility [Work Assignment Type]


In the book "How to be a Star at Work," Robert Kelly indicates that star performers
don't fight over who holds which responsibility individually, but rather take
responsibility for areas that are left unclaimed - of course while doing the work within
their own area of responsibility. When the Volvo car plant in Ghent, Belgium started to
introduce teamwork, their aim was to increase productivity. When a group of 4 people
feel collectively responsible for assembling a section of the car (for instance, the
brake system), they won't complain when an improvement of the brakes requires that
5 screws be fixed instead of the previous 4 screws. However, if each person only feels
responsible for one screw, the 5th screw looks like a 100% work increase! Of course,
as you can read in Jon Katzenbach's "The Wisdom of Teams," not every task or group
of activities is suited for teamwork. For instance, sales persons are typically
individually responsible for their own sales area, and compete with other sales
persons in the other areas. Especially when they are paid on commission, or get
bonuses related to their individual sales results, it is difficult to transform their jobs
into teamwork.
For this category, we will test whether persons want sole responsibility for the work
results or whether they want to share that responsibility.

9. Cycle Time [Relationship Sorting]


Today, most people consider lifetime employment as something of the past. Given
that the only certainty is that things will change, it's difficult to predict how a
company will look like in 5 years, and even more difficult which jobs will be required.
Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor indicate that between 1979 and 1999 the
average person in the United States held 9.2 jobs from age 18 to age 34, and has as
many as 3 to 4 careers during one's lifetime. Both a company and the employee need
to take this new element into account. Some people have no problems adapting to
change, they even like it and get bored if things don't change enough. The IT industry
and other technological fields are on a track of rapid change. For instance, the most
advanced PC you buy today will be considered outdated in 3 years time. Other people
require more certainty and security, and would prefer their job to stay the same for
years. Indeed, some jobs, like bookkeeping, don't change much over the years.
This leads us to the following questions. What is a person's cycle time for projects,
tasks, and jobs? Does a person want a fast cycle, moving from one thing to another
quickly, or do they prefer things to remain stable for a long period of time?

10. Basic Motivations [McClelland's Motivational Types]


According to David McClelland, author of "Human Motivation" and an expert in the
field, people are basically motivated by three criteria: how much power they have,
how much they are appreciated as friends by their environment and how successful
they are (and are recognized for that). Certain kinds of jobs require certain types of
motivation. For a manager in a large, hierarchical organization, being motivated by
power seems advantageous to a certain degree. For other jobs and organizations,
performance orientation is the key.
The metaprogram category will help to answer the following questions: "What are the
basic motivation factors for this person? Is it Power, Popularity, or Performance? In
which hierarchical order does the person put these 3 criteria?"

11. Work Approach


Some jobs require that the focus of the person starting something new is "just do it."
This is often the best approach for someone who is self-employed or for an
entrepreneur starting a small company. This is often contrasted to "academic
approach," where a researcher concentrates on the theory or on the concept. And
then there is a third way: When the organization is becoming bigger, it becomes more
important to work in a structured way. When you start something that will involve a
lot of people, "just doing it" may end in chaos. A manager in a large organization has
to concentrate on the structure and will delegate the doing to the other people. To
some extend, each of us combines these 3 approaches, mostly spending the most
time on the approach we prefer. This explains why entrepreneurs sometimes get into
trouble when their organization starts to grow. After a while, they should switch from
"doing it" to "organizing it," and failing to make this switch will leave the company
"under managed." The same problem exists in the other direction, when a manager
from a large organization becomes self-employed. Suddenly, all the structure is gone
and the manager now has to do it.
In short, this category addresses the following question: "When approaching a task or
project, what is the internal process a person uses? The three parts of this internal
process are: Use, Concept, and Structure. An additional question is: "How do they
distribute their available energy and time over these 3 processes?"

12. Time Orientation [Temporal Processing]


Different functions in the organization concentrate on different aspects of time. For
instance, the production manager focuses on doing the work that needs done now,
and solving the problems that prevent today's work to be done. The auditor will look
if the bookkeeper has been doing their work correctly, and may give some advice
based on what they learn from looking at this past. An organization's strategic
thinkers will focus on the future. It's their task to work out what the company should
look like within a number of years. Of course, if people with a different reference
frame come together to discuss a project, this can lead to conflicts. The strategist
may have a dream fro the future, which the bookkeeper might criticize, proving his
point of view with facts from the past. The production manager might feel squeezed
in the middle, left wondering what to focus on right now. She might wonder what the
others are arguing about; given there are already enough current issues to address.
These are the questions we address with the temporal processing metaprograms:
When working on a project or task, or when thinking about or organizing something,
in what time reference does this person tend to be? Is he remembering the past, is he
thinking about the present, or is he planning or projecting the future?

13. Rules and Conformity [Norming]


This category indicates one of the biggest differences between a large conglomerate
and a small, entrepreneurial company. Inside a large organization, it's often important
to try to be the person the company needs. Also, most large companies have quality
systems in place, with procedures one needs to follow. It's the job of the manager to
enforce these procedures. Given the size of the organization, it becomes difficult to
tolerate deviant behavior. In a small entrepreneurial company, rules are less
important, and often there are few written rules. Sometimes the organization even
appreciates that persons bend the rules in order to get results. Rules tend to differ
from person to person and managers have less need to communicate the rules.
How does this person deal with the unwritten rules or the social contract in the work
place? Does he feel the need to tell others how they should act? The metaprograms
included in this category are: assertiveness, indifference, complacency, and
tolerance.

14. Convincing Means [Convincer Patterns - Input Representation]


Getting convinced requires that one has the information one needs in order to take
the decision, and that one then processes that information. As a trainer, one learns to
use the different types of input representation in order to enable persons to learn.
Some people like visual information: they need to see graphs, process charts, or
maybe they want to observe a demonstration. Other people like to hear the
explanation. A third type wants to read a book or a manual. The fourth type of
persons needs to do exercises and learn via a "hands-on" approach.
The same is true for convincing. The first metaprogram aims at answering the
following questions: "How is this person convinced about something or someone
new? How does he gather the data to be convinced?"

15. Convincing Process [Convincer Patterns - Interpretation Process]


Of course, most of the time it's not enough just to "throw" the right type of
information to a person in order to convince that person, even if some persons
almost seem "automatically convinced" once they have the data they require. At the
other extreme, you'll find people that seem never convinced: they will consistently
reprocess the data, checking whether their previous decision is still the right one.
Other types of interpretation consist of gathering a number of examples or observing
the situation over a certain period of time. In short, the second metaprogram
category linked to convincing answers the question: "What does a person do with the
data to be convinced?" The key factors are automatic, consistency, a number of
examples, and a period of time.

16. Environmental Priorities[Interest Filters]


Consider the following parties involved in the building industry. Each one has its own
interests. The team coach concentrates on the people he is helping. A carpenter may
pay attention to the tools. The quality engineer is thinking about the system. The
manager considers the information he has to distribute. For the bookkeeper, money
is important. For the real estate agent, location is all that counts. For the future house
owner, the timing is important: he wants to see the building finished in time. Finally,
if you are the director that wanted to make a movie out of this, having enough action
is key. The conclusion: there are a lot of environmental factors that motivate people
at work. If all of these people would pay attention to only their interests, the happy
ending may be difficult to find.
The previous paragraph illustrated 8 types of interest filters. We can ask these
distinctions for any job and for any individual. What does a person pay attention to in
the environment? What does this person have to be working with to feel successful?
The primary filter of interest is the filter which the person prefers the most.

Back to iWAM
Back to Research
The following articles are in-depth studies of global trends among certain
metaprograms:
Article 1: Action Direction: Goals and Problems
Article 2: Task Attitude - Options vs Procedures
Article 3: Work Environment & Work Responsability
Article 4: Rules and Conformity
This page contains a description of each of the 48 metaprogram patterns that the
iWAM questionnaire measures. The following descriptions help you interpret the
results of your iWAM Profile Survey Graphic Report. If you have questions or
concerns, please contact your LAB Profile Consultant.
The first 16 scales, the operational factors, are presented as binary patterns. For each
pair, the first scale is explained in normal type. The other scale is shown in italics.
OF1: Action Level: This person has a tendency to initiate. This person has a
lot of patience.
OF2: Action Direction: This person has a capability to remain focused on a
goal and maintain that focus over time. This person is motivated by finding
and correcting problems.
OF3: Evaluation Reference: This person wants to decide for themself. They
provide their own motivation. This person prefers to get the advice and
opinions of others.
OF4: Task Attitude: This person is always looking for a better way; an
alternative. This person is highly efficient when following procedures.
OF5: Task Orientation (Scope): This person works with and thinks about
large 'chunks' of information. This person is detail oriented.
OF6: Communication Sort (Interaction): This person is focused on
nonverbal communication. This person is focused on the content of the
message itself.
OF7: Work Environment Type: This person wants to work with people
around. They want to work alone.
OF8: Work Assignment Type: These people want sole responsibility for the
work they perform. This person wants to share the responsibility with others,
and prefers team projects.

The relationship sorting patterns indicate:


So1: Sameness: This person wants everything to remain the same.
So2: Evolution: This person wants things to evolve over time, and adapts to
change easily.
So3: Difference: This person must have change.

The work approach indicates how one distributes the available time and energy over
the following kinds of tasks:
Wa1: Use: This person simply begins the task; they work best when they can
get the first step out of the way immediately.
Wa2: Concept: This person completely develops an idea or theory; needs
time to think things through.
Wa3: Structure: This person organizes the resources; establishes lists and
identifies the relationships.

The Temporal Processing patterns indicate how persons are oriented when thinking
about time.
TP1:Past: This person concentrates on the past and uses experience to help
make decisions.
TP2:Present: This person concentrates on the present, the 'now' and tends
to be practical.
TP3:Future: This person concentrates on the future and tends to be a
dreamer.

McClelland’s Motivational Criteria: Is this person motivated by these three factors?


Mo1: Power: This person is motivated by situations where they have power,
authority, and control over people and things.
Mo2: Popularity: This person is motivated by situations where people like
them, they can participate in taking care of other people, and they can be a
part of the group.
Mo3: Performance: (synonym: Achievement) This person is motivated by
situations where they can achieve. They want to be noticed for what they
have achieved.
The Norming Patterns are related to the 'unwritten rules' for the culture. How do
people interact and what is expected of each other. We indicate the high end of the
scale in normal type and the low end of the scale in italics.
N1: Assertive: people know the policies and rules and are willing and able to
tell others know what they should do. They are not ready to tell others what
to do.
N2: Indifferent: people have rules for their own lives, and these people don't
involve themselves in other people's work habits. of other people. They care
about others, and are concerned about other people's actions at work.
N3: Complacent: They are willing to follow the rules and policies of the
organization.
When they know the rules, they are excellent examples of what the rules
define as good conduct. They do not feel the need to conform to the
organization's rules.
N4: Tolerant: people know the rules and policies for themselves but do not
feel it is appropriate for them to impose those rules on others. They are
intolerant of the actions of others.

The following 8 patterns indicate how a person is convinced. The first four represent
the channels by which they gather information, and the second four are related to
how the person massages that data to be convinced.
Co1: See: people must be able to see something to get convinced.
Co2: Hear: people must hear how, or hear about something in order to be
convinced.
Co3: Read: people must read information or instructions to become
convinced.
Co4: Do: people must actually do it in order to be convinced about
something.
Co5: Number of Examples: people must have the data a particular number
of times for them to be convinced.
Co6: Automatic: people only need a small amount or even partial
information and they quickly project the rest of the information. Then, they
decide based on what their projections.
Co7: Consistent: people are never quite convinced. They need to get
information every single time to remain somewhat convinced.
Co8: Period of Time: people need to have the data remain consistent for
period of time for them to be convinced.

The Interest Filters of the person indicate what the person needs to work with or
manipulate to feel successful. It is what must be in the environment.
IF1: People: A High People person works best with people and their feelings.
IF2: Tools: A High Tools person works best with tangible tools and
instruments.
IF3: Systems: A High Systems person works best with the process of things.
IF4: Information: A High Information person works best with facts and
knowledge.
IF5: Money: A High Money person is concerned about money and keeping
score.
IF6: Place: A High Place person is concerned about the geographic or
social/political position.
IF7: Time: A High Time person is concerned about allotting time and keeping
schedule
IF8: Activity: A High Activity person focuses on activity and needs to
manipulate activities.
What are Metaprograms and why are they important?
Metaprograms are the series of mental filters which determine how one behaves
based on how one thinks and what one pays attention to during observation. For
instance: Do you focus on the information or on people? Do you like to look at the big
picture or are you a detail-minded person?

Think of it like the wiring in your brain. Every person is wired a little differently, and
this affects the way they see and act in the world. Understanding how people are
wired can have profitable rewards in the field of HRM.

Among other things, metaprograms can be used to determine whether a person will
be motivated by certain jobs, environments, or input. This is the reason that
measuring metaprograms can be useful during recruitment, coaching, and training
people.

“Human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes of mind.”-William James
How does jobEQ utilize Metaprograms?
jobEQ’s most popular product, the iWAM questionnaire, measures 48 metaprogram
patterns - far more variables than competing tests. Our feedback reports explain the
results, and how they relate to and predict employee behavior. Instead of saying a
person is either "proactive" or "reactive," these reports detail exactly how proactive
and reactive a person is. Measuring items on a scale such as this gives you an
incredible amount of information about the person and how he or she compares to
others. Rather than just putting people into one of a few categories, the iWAM gives
you more possible profiles than there are people on the Earth. Since everyone is
unique, this makes perfect sense.

Once you see exactly which metaprograms jobEQ measures, you will begin to
understand how much they could affect a person's behavior at work. We have
organized the metaprograms into 16 Categories, each of which can be accurately and
objectively measured by iWAM.

NLP LOGICAL LEVELS


1. Spirituality/Purpose
This can be seen as being part of a bigger system. What impact are they having on
the community or culture in which they work?
2. Identity/Mission
Who are they as an individual? What role do they play in achieving their purpose?
How do they think of themselves?
3. Beliefs & Values
Why do they do what they do? What do they believe in?
4. Capabilities/Strategies
How do they get things done? What are their most useful capabilities, skills,
strategies?
5. Behaviours
What are their behaviours? How do they go about achieving things?
6. Environment
Where, how and with whom do they demonstrate these behaviours? What are the
external influences that play a part in what they do?
Dilts' (neuro)logical levels
In Neuro-linguistic programming, they were developed by Robert Dilts into the Dilts'
Neuro-logical levels (also known as the logical levels of change and the logical levels
of thinking) which are useful for assisting with or understanding change from an
individual, social or organization point of view. Each level is progressively more
psychologically encompassing and impactful.
A belief, outcome may be considered from different levels:
• Spirit or strategic vision - What is my intention or purpose for this?
• Identity - Who am I to be?
• Belief and values - What are my beliefs?
• Capability - What am I capable of doing?
• Behavior - What am I able to do?
• Environment - In what context does this behavior occur?
Chunking

The word chunking comes from a famous 1956 paper by George A. Miller, The
Magical Number Seven, Plus or Minus Two : Some Limits on our Capacity for
Processing Information. At a time when information theory was beginning to be
applied in psychology, Miller observed that whereas some human cognitive tasks fit
the model of a "channel capacity" characterized by a roughly constant capacity in
bits, short-term memory did not. A variety of studies could be summarized by saying
that short term memory had a capacity of about "seven plus-or-minus two" chunks.
Miller wrote that "With binary items the span is about nine and, although it drops to
about five with monosyllabic English words, the difference is far less than the
hypothesis of constant information would require. The span of immediate memory
seems to be almost independent of the number of bits per chunk, at least over the
range that has been examined to date." Miller acknowledged that "we are not very
definite about what constitutes a chunk of information."

Miller noted that according to this theory, it should be possible to effectively increase
short-term memory for low-information-content items by mentally recoding them into
a smaller number of high-information-content items. "A man just beginning to learn
radio-telegraphic code hears each dit and dah as a separate chunk. Soon he is able
to organize these sounds into letters and then he can deal with the letters as chunks.
Then the letters organize themselves as words, which are still larger chunks, and he
begins to hear whole phrases." Thus, a telegrapher can effectively "remember"
several dozen dits and dahs as a single phrase. Naive subjects can only remember
about nine binary items, but Miller reports a 1954 experiment in which people were
trained to listen to a string of binary digits and (in one case) mentally group them
into groups of five, recode each group into a name (e.g "twenty-one" for 10101), and
remember the names. With sufficient drill, people found it possible to remember as
many as forty binary digits. Miller wrote:

"It is a little dramatic to watch a person get 40 binary digits in a row and then repeat
them back without error. However, if you think of this merely as a mnemonic trick for
extending the memory span, you will miss the more important point that is implicit in
nearly all such mnemonic devices. The point is that recoding is an extremely
powerful weapon for increasing the amount of information that we can deal with".
The S.C.O.R.E. Model
Most NLP is oriented around defining a present state and a desired state, and then
identifying and applying a technique that will hopefully help someone get to their
desired state. The S.C.O.R.E. Model enriches that description by adding a few more
simple distinctions. The letters stand for Symptoms, Causes, Outcomes, Resources
and Effects. These elements represent the minimum amount of information that
needs to be addressed by any process of change or healing.

Symptoms are typically the most noticeable and conscious aspects of a presenting
problem or problem state.
Causes are the underlying elements responsible for creating and maintaining the
symptoms. They are usually less obvious than the symptoms they produce.
Outcomes are the particular goals or desired states that would take the place of the
symptoms.
Resources are the underlying elements responsible for removing the causes of the
symptoms and for manifesting and maintaining the desired outcomes.
Effects are the longer term results of achieving a particular outcome. Specific
outcomes are generally stepping stones to get to a longer term effect.
Positive effects are often the reason or motivation for establishing a particular
outcome to begin with.
Negative effects can create resistance or ecological problems.
Techniques are sequential structures for identifying, accessing and applying
particular resources to a particular set of symptoms, causes and outcomes. A
technique is not in and of itself a resource. A technique is only effective to the extent
that it accesses and applies the resources which are appropriate to address the the
whole system defined by the other S.C.O.R.E. elements.

'Dancing' S.C.O.R.E. Technique


Think of a problem you are trying to solve.
Lay out four locations in a sequence representing the cause, symptom, outcome and
desired effect related to the problem.
Physically associate into the experience and internal state related to each location.
Pay special attention to the pattern of movement associated with each location.
Starting in the 'cause' location, walk slowly through entire sequence. Repeat this
process several times until there is a sense of a single movement from cause to
effect.
Go to a physical meta position and let your body lead you to a special movement
representing the appropriate resource to bring into the S.C.O.R.E. sequence.
Starting in the cause location, incorporate the resource movement into the other
movement associated with that location. Walk through the other locations adding the
resource movement to the other movements until you have reached the effect space.
Repeat the movement through cause, symptom, outcome and effect until you have
transformed it into a kind of 'dance'.

What Triggers Motivation?


Not all people are motivated in the same way. Some schools of thought maintain that
it is impossible for one individual to motivate another. Essentially, all motivation
comes from within. However, an understanding of what triggers motivation, and how
to activate those triggers, could lead to a more effective presentation of the concepts
of ecosystem management among landowners.
Is it manipulation? The importance of understanding motivation traits lies not in
being able to manipulate people into doing things they would not ordinarily want to
do. Rather, it lies in being able to present ideas in such a way that minimum energy
is required on the part of the listener to effectively hear the message. It lies in being
able to overcome barriers created by how the ideas are presented, rather than
barriers created by the ideas themselves. Thus, the listener’s energy can then be
used to understand and evaluate the ideas being presented instead of being used to
overcome barriers created by language that does not match the listener’s
preferences.
What are the motivation traits? Charvet (1995) describes six categories of
motivation traits related to how different people trigger their motivation. These traits
are related to what language will best capture the interest of people with different
motivation traits. The traits and their patterns are as follows:
Motivation Pattern - Motivation Traits
Proactive vs. Reactive - Level – “Is about what will get you going and make you
think.”
Values -Criteria – “Those words which incite a physical or emotional reaction, HOT
BUTTONS.”

Toward vs. Away From - Direction –- “Either they move toward a goal, or away from
problems.”

Internal vs. External- Source – “Does the person find motivation in external
sources, or in internal standards and beliefs.”
Options vs. Procedures- Reason.– “Is there a continual quest for alternatives, or is
there a preference to follow established procedures?”
Sameness vs. Sameness with Exceptions vs.Difference vs.Sameness with
Exception and Difference - Decision Factors.– “Does the motivation come from a
search for ‘difference’ or ‘sameness’?”
Examples of Influencing Language
This section gives examples of the types of language that might be most appropriate
in presenting information and ideas to forest landowners with various motivation
traits. Keep in mind that the purpose of using influencing language is not to “trick” or
“persuade” someone to do something; the purpose is, rather, to present ideas in a
way that focuses listener’s energy on the content of the message.
Level What language might appeal to a proactive or reactive audience learning
about
fuels reduction? Since the majority of the audience may be equally proactive and
reactive in a given context, both types of language may need to be used to influence
them. Proactive – Wildfire is a real and present danger in your area. You can take
positive steps to protect your home and surroundings.
Create a defensible space now; don’t wait for the fire season. We can show you how
to take control of the situation. Reactive – Have you considered what might happen
if a wildfire occurred in your area? Think about this: if a wildfire should burn your
property, your buildings could be replaced but how long would it take to replace your
trees? Current research indicates that 100 feet of defensible space may be needed on
level parcels, and up to 400 feet downslope on steep parcels.
This may be the right time to analyze how you can create a defensible space on your
property. We can assist you in developing a plan to increase your safety and to
preserve the forest setting where you live.
Criteria Criteria are not easy to illustrate because they are very personal. However,
Charvet (1995) gives us the following description of influencing language for this
motivational trait. “Unskilled sales people just pitch their product (usually using their
own Criteria) without much regard to what their prospective customer actually
wants…Many market researchers investigate people’s Criteria so that the exact
phrasing of an advertising campaign can match what is most important to the groups
they wish to influence…If you want to get and keep someone’s interest you will need
to link what you are proposing with their Criteria. You will need to be careful to deliver
what you promise when you use someone’s Criteria to persuade them. Otherwise
their disappointment and
anger will likely be directed at you.”
Direction What kinds of Direction triggers would motivate a person to come to a
resource
agency or RCD for technical advice or financial assistance?
Toward – New landowners might come because they have a goal, a mental picture,
of what they want their property to look like. They may be looking for ways to realize
their goal. A rancher might come because he wants to increase the quality of grazing
for his cattle, or increase his hay production. A timber owner might want to increase
the production and profit of his operation.
Words and phrases that appeal to people with a Toward orientation in a given context
include:
“attain; obtain; have; get; include; achieve; enable you to; benefits; advantages;
here’s what you would accomplish” (Charvet, 1995) Away From – A homeowner may
seek help with fuels reduction in order to avoid the possibility of having his property
burned to ashes. Someone planning a timber harvest might want help in filing the
paperwork in order to avoid a fine. A rancher might want to solve the problem of how
to get rid of chaparral on his land. A farmer might want to know how to install a fish
screen to prevent having his water supply cut off.
Words and phrases that appeal to people with an Away From orientation in a given
context include:
“won’t have to; solve; prevent; avoid; fix; not have to deal with; get rid of; it’s not
perfect; let’s find out what’s wrong; there’ll be no problems” (Charvet, 1995)
Sometimes an Away From orientation may initially sound like a Toward orientation.
For example, people may want “freedom,” which sounds like a toward orientation.
However, what they may actually want is freedom from something, rather than
freedom to do something. That makes the orientation “Away From.” It is crucial to ask
Direction questions more than once to get an accurate idea of what direction actually
motivates an audience (even a single person). The first response is usually Toward,
regardless of their actual
pattern. Agencies often tend to have a Toward orientation. They have a vision of how
things could or should be and they have “good science” to back it up. Landowners
often tend to have an Away From orientation. They want to avoid obstacles or solve
problems that stand in their way. The important thing is not what they plan to do but
why they are motivated to do it. Understanding the Direction of their motivation
makes it easier to get and hold their interest.
Source When presenting a new management practice, how could the information be
phrased to an Internal or External audience to get their attention?
Internal – You might consider the advantages of using this practice. If you try it, you
can decide for yourself if it will work for you.
Here is some information to help you make a decision. If you need more information,
contact these people.
External – Experts at the university have done studies to show that this practice will
have quite an impact. Once you try this practice, your neighbors will notice the
improvements and you will get good feedback. I strongly recommend you give it a
try. These articles will show you what the experts think. Many long-time landowners
have an Internal orientation toward their land and management practices. They want
to make up their own minds about which practices to use. They are looking for
information and will not be swayed by external pressure (in fact, it may make them
resistant). Newer landowners may have a more External orientation, since they may
feel less certain about their own knowledge. Since the majority of the audience will
be either one or the other orientation in a given context, care in wording is essential
in communicating with them.
Reason What language would be most effective in explaining the steps in thinning a
stand
of timber to an audience composed of Options or Procedures people?
Options – There are many ways to go about this. Here is why it is important. Let’s
look at some of the alternative methods you might use. You may find it a challenge to
combine several of them in ways that suit you best. You might come up with new
ideas that work well for you. There are no rules for doing this; come up with the ways
that work best for you. If you want to try something different, let me know and we
may be able to make an exception in your case.
Procedures – The correct three step procedure for thinning a stand to reduce the
hazard of wildfire is: First, remove fuel by thinning crowded trees to leave at least 10
feet between crowns on level ground, and up to 30 feet on steep slopes. Second,
prune shrubs, saplings and the lower branches of trees to more than the
recommended distance to allow for future growth. Finally, dispose of the shrubs and
branches you have cut to reduce the fuel load.
Audiences will be mainly either Options or Procedures in a context. It may be
necessary to use both sorts of language to appeal to an unknown audience. Options
oriented people will want to know what and why. Procedures oriented people will
want to know how.
Decision Factors The following influencing language for each of the four patterns in
this trait is quoted from Charvet (1995). Sameness – The same as; as you already
know; like before; identical
Sameness with Exception – More; better; less; the same except; evolving;
progress; gradual improvement; upgrade Difference – New; totally different;
completely changed; switch; shift; unique; one of a kind; brand new
Sameness with Exception and Difference – use both Sameness with Exception
and Difference language Since the majority of the population has a Sameness with
Exception orientation toward work, that influencing language may be most
appropriate for general audiences. Specific questions may need to be asked to
understand the orientation of an individual.
Why is this important? It is possible, as described by Charvet (1995), to introduce
ideas with language that appeals to people with each combination of motivation
traits and patterns. The use of appropriate language can be effective whether
“marketing” an idea or introducing a lesson in a classroom. Matching language
makes it more likely that a message will be heard.
What is the Best Way to Present Text-Based Information?
Much of the information available to landowners will be printed material including
both text and graphics. The design of this material will have a significant impact on
its acceptance and usability.
One effective form of presenting text-based information is known as structured
writing.
What is the purpose of structured writing? One structured writing approach
described by Horn
(1993), a pioneer who began studying the field in 1965, was based upon research
designed to answer the following question: “How can we make learning easier and
quicker for people in complex, information-rich environments?”
What are the principles of sequencing and formatting? The most visible aspect of
structured writing is its sequencing and format. The principles of sequencing and
format are as follows:
Principle Description
Chunking
Group information into manageable chunks.
Relevance
Place like things together. Exclude unrelated items from each chunk.
Consistency
Use consistent terms within each chunk of informa tion terms in both the chunk and
the label organization
Labeling
Provide the reader with a label for each chunk of information.
Integrated Graphics
Use tables, illustrations, and diagrams as an integral part of the writing.
Accessible detail
Write at the level of detail that will make the document useable for all readers.

Hierarchy of chunking and labeling


Group small chunks around a single relevant topic.Provide the group with a label.
Why is this important? Research has shown the following benefits of structured
writing,
specifically the form of structured writing known as Information Mapping: 83%
decrease in first draft development time 75% decrease in document revision time
54% decrease in number of words in documents 10% to 50% decrease in reading
time 38% increase in use of documentation
What are the NLP Presuppositions?

NLP is largely based on practical experience rather than academic theories, and the
NLP pre-suppositions - some unique to NLP, some borrowed from General Semantics,
cybernetics, etc. - are extremely useful as a guide to the thinking behind NLP as a
whole. Because they are usually each expressed in a single sentence they are
sometimes misunderstood as being vague and/or idealistic. In reality they are all
extremely pragmatic.
Some of the best-known NLP pre-suppositions include:

If you go on doing what you're doing now you are very likely to go on getting the
same results as you are getting now
Commentary: The pre-supposition here is that we are each responsible for our own
lives.
Though we may not be able to control what goes on in the world around us, we can
always control how we respond to those events. If we always act/respond in the
same way then the most likely result is that we will maintain the status quo.
This is why making a decision on the basis that "that's the way we've always done it"
is often the prelude to disaster.

If you want something different you must do something different, and keep varying
your behaviour until you get the result that you want
Commentary: The second pre-supposition is that there's a solution to every situation
if you're prepared to keeping on looking until you find it.
This leads us straight into the third presupposition:

The person with the greatest number of choices in a given situation is likely to get
the best outcome
Commentary: This is related to the idea of the BATNA (best alternative to non-
agreement. If you go into a negotiation session with only one outcome in mind - and
you don't achieve that particular outcome then you're up a dead-end street. If, on
the other hand, you have several outcomes in mind (prioritised from "most preferred"
to "least preferred", of course) then it is likely that you will achieve at least one of
your outcomes.

You cannot not communicate


Commentary: People often imagine that they can avoid personal responsibility by
simply saying nothing. This pre-supposition points out that we are constantly
communicating, by what we do say, by what we don't say, and by a host of non-
verbal signals.
On this basis it may be obvious that there is more to be gained by accepting
responsibility for one's actions, than by trying to stay aloof.

The meaning of your communication is the response that you get


Commentary: The pre-supposition here is that people will respond to what they
think you mean, which may be an accurate or inaccurate interpretation of your
intended meaning.
(Please note, a "communication" is the 'whole' message - not only what you said but
also all of the accompanying non-verbal signals.).
The value of this pre-supposition is that it points out that if we want people to
respond appropriately to what we say then we need to talk to them rather than at
them. That is, we need to be constantly aware of other peoples' responses to what
we're saying, and adjust our communication accordingly, rather than just assuming
that they will have understood what we meant them to understand.

Everyone has all of the resources they need


Commentary: This is one of the "dodgy" presuppositions in that it doesn't exactly
match the presupposition it was based on. What Erickson actually said was that
every client already had all the resources they needed to be able to deal with their
"presenting problem". That is to say, at some level they already knew how the
problem had come about and therefore already knew all they needed to resolve the
problem.
Which isn't quite the same as saying that we all have whatever resources (or
capabilities) we need to get us out of ANY situation.
Even if we accept the presupposition as it is usually stated, I suggest that we need to
acknowledge two qualifications which I call Bradbury's corollories:
In order to use a resource you must -
know that you have it, and
know how to use it
(though not necessarily at a conscious level)
Let me illustrate what I mean by referring to the question of how children should be
educated.
Some people, taking the viewpoint that we already have all the resources we need,
argue that children must be free to learn what they want, when they want, and that
ultimately they'll learn everything they need to know.
Those in the traditionalist camp point out, quite accurately, that this approach simply
doesn't work and (here comes the non sequiter) that education must therefore be
carefully structured and controlled.
A third, and far more true-to-life approach takes into account all three parts of the
NLP pre-supposition, thus:

Children have all the resources they need in order to learn very effectively. (If they
didn't how do they learn to walk and talk without taking "lessons"?)
And they need to understand that they have this capability ...
... and how to use it.
In other words, children do need help and guidance. Education, after all, is a living
process, not a static event.
First and foremost, they need to learn how to learn. Just banging the tools down in
front of them and expecting them to get on with it is a total non-starter. By the same
token, however, too much structure and control turns learning into a boring routine
chore. And look what happens then!

Every behaviour has a positive intention


Commentary: This is possibly the most controversial of the NLP presuppositions,
since it is so open to misinterpretation.

What we actually mean is that every behaviour has a positive intention, as far as the
person exhibiting the behaviour is concerned.
This does not mean that the behaviour is the best possible choice (from an objective
point of view). Nor does it mean that the behaviour will have positive benefits for
anyone else.
A classic example of what we might call the inverted positive intention is the
behaviour of the bullying manager who gains re-assurance from hitting on the people
under him/her.
The solution to this kind of inappropriate behaviour is to find a way of satisfying the
intention by more acceptable means. A way, for example, of giving the manager re-
assurance in such a way that he no longer needs to bully his employees to get it.

Every behaviour is appropriate in some context


Commentary: Another way of putting this is: if we adopt a certain behaviour it's
because once upon a time it worked. The trouble is that we often go on sing a
certain behaviour even though it is manifestly no longer appropriate.
Having said that, if we accept this presupposition then we also realise that the most
effective solution is to find a new, more appropriate behaviour rather than holding a
lengthy, pointless post mortem over the old behaviour (which is more likely to re-
enforce that old behaviour rather than driving it out).

A map is not the territory it depicts; words are not the things they describe; symbols
are not the things they represent
Commentary: This may well be the single most important pre-supposition in the
whole of NLP (originally developed by Alfred Korzybski, the founder of General
Semantics).
In very simple terms it means that we are always slightly separated from 'reality'. We
draw maps, but the map is not actually the place it depicts and we need to be
responsive to what is actually happening around us rather than complaining that
things aren't as they "ought to be".
Similarly, we need to understand that words are only a kind of shorthand for the
things they describe. To get an inkling of what this means in practice, just look at the
words on a banknote. What exactly does "promise to pay the bearer" really mean?
What would an actual pound or dollar look like, as distinct from a coin or bank note
which represents or symbolises some financial value?

Your mind and your body are indivisable parts of the same system
Commentary: The notion that our body and our brain/mind are separate entities was
a developed within the medical profession around the 1930s and 1940s. If there was
something wrong with your body - from a sniffle to malignant cancer - the only
solution was some kind of physical treatment.
Despite its position (literally) at the head of the central nervous system, in
mainstream medicine it was received wisdom that, for all practical purposes, the
influence of the brain/mind stopped at the neck.
Somewhat ironically, this came about at the very same time General Semantics was
investigating the idea that mental activity had a direct correlation to physiological
activity.
Only in the last couple of decades has practical, scientifically verifiable evidence
come to light that shows beyond reasonable doubt that the immune system, for
example, is integrally linked to brain activity so that, for example, mental stress can
inhibit the performance of the immune system and thus lead to lowering of general
bodily health.

If one person can do something, anyone else can learn to do it


Commentary: One of the key activities in NLP is the modelling of people who are
recognised (by their peers) as being excellent in some field of activity in such a way
as to identify what they do that gives them such remarkable results.

When these differences have been identified they can be communicated to other
people who can then learn to perform with a similar level of skill and excellence.
Having said that, the person learning the skill must have the necessary aptitude, and
be willing to carry out the necessary self-development.
In other words, whilst it is easy enough to model the activity of a world class sprinter,
for example, a person who has only one leg, or is severely overweight or who refuses
to take any physical exercise, is unlikely to be able to translate the modelled
information into a personal skill.

There is no such thing as failure, only feedback


Commentary: When something doesn't go as we planned we tend to see that as
failure. Depending on the seriousness of the situation we might then get angry,
irritated, sad, depressed, worried, guilty or whatever.
None of which serves any useful purpose.

But what happens if we see the situation as feedback rather than failure. A real life
demonstration of how not to do something?
Instead of being wrong we've learned something. Instead of feeling bad we are free
to form a new plan of action and try again.

Cosy, rosy-tinted 'positive thinking'? Not exactly.


Edison identified about a 1,000 materials which are not suitable as filaments for a
light bulb before he found one which worked and worked well.
A number of best-selling books (i.e. million sellers plus film) were turned down by
more than two dozen publishers before they were accepted for publication.
And always remember the poor talent scout at Decca records who rejected the
Beatles as having no future in music!

Change makes Change


Commentary: It is a common saying that "the only person you can really change is
yoursel". NLP goes one step further and also acknowledges that changing your own
behaviour inevitably has an effect on the people around you. The underlying notion,
derived from the field of cybernetics, is that when one element within a system
changes, the whole system must change in whatever way is necessary to adapt to
that change.
There is a fascinating little experiment which demonstrates the truth of this
presupposition. Groups of three people were seated in an otherwise empty room in
such a way that they were each more or less facing both of the other two people.
Nobody spoke, no one moved around, gesticulated or otherwise sent overt non-verbal
messages. And yet ...
In every trial, it took no more than two minutes max. for the person with the
strongest feelings at the time, positive or negative, to engender the same emotion in
the other two people.

Genuine Understanding only comes from Experience


Commentary: You can read all you like, and talk to as many other people as you like,
and you can watch other people doing something on video, DVD or film - but you
don't really understand something until you personally have done it.
You will probably have noticed that all NLP pre-suppositions have a positive
perspective.
Most NLP books discuss some of the presuppositions.

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