What is NLP?

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What is NLP?

What is NLP?

NLP was created in the USA in the 70s by Richard Bandler (mathematician) and John Grinder (linguist) as a way of identifying how successful people were able to excel in their various fields (business, therapy, sport, arts, communication and many others). They were curious to know what it was that really makes the difference between good and excellent performance. 

Bandler and Grinder observed three different types of therapist; each one was known to be outstanding in their profession. They found that although each therapist had a different style and approach, they shared one vital quality, incredible rapport-building skills. The therapists themselves were unaware of why, specifically, people found it so easy to relate to them, so Bandler and Grinder began analysing 'how' they did what they did. Although these therapists were eliciting extraordinary rapport and trust from their clients, they were not consciously aware of what they were doing to create this response - they just did it instinctively. So Bandler and Grinder watched them carefully and uncovered certain patterns, or programmes of thinking and behaviour that were similar. In this way they discovered a pattern for advanced communication and rapport-building skills. They then copied exactly what they had noticed, and guess what? They got the same results. They called this process 'modelling'.

NLP is about modelling excellence. Noticing what works, finding out what makes it work and then doing it. NLP does not just copy 'outward' behaviour; it looks at what really creates this behaviour. It looks at values and beliefs, attitudes and triggers. NLP looks at what it is that motivates people to do things, so that they have outstanding results. NLP does not invent anything that does not already exist. It finds out what works really well and then models it, i.e. copies it and creates a 'road map' to excellence.