What is NLP?

The meaning of NLP is simple. It is an epistemology – a model of how we know what we know. How do you know that you like something or dislike something? How do you know that something like a bill you have paid is in the past or an unpaid bill is something in the future?
Neuro linguistic programming is a jigsaw puzzle of your mind. It teaches you where information is stored and how to retrieve it easily. It also contains the methodology of eradicating negativity fast and permanently...

The meaning of NLP is simple. It is an epistemology – a model of how we know what we know. How do you know that you like something or dislike something? How do you know that something like a bill you have paid is in the past or an unpaid bill is something in the future?

​Neuro linguistic programming is a jigsaw puzzle of your mind. It teaches you where information is stored and how to retrieve it easily. It also contains the methodology of eradicating negativity fast and permanently.
Co-founded by a Professor of Linguistics, Dr. John Grinder and a computer scientist, Richard Bandler in the late 70’s, Neuro Linguistic Programming found its roots in psychotherapy.
More recently, corporates have begun to realise the power of conducting NLP certification courses in the workplace. Comprising a series of models, an NLP course would typically be most impactful for the higher echelons of a corporate.
This is understandably so, as senior leadership teams understand models and the big picture of how things connect with each other. Hence NLP Practitioner programs would largely be offered within a corporate to senior leadership, Human Resource and those responsible for teams.
Imagine if you could understand the leverage points to change behaviour and know how to influence others for better results? Wouldn’t that take the pain out of the day?
Well, Neuro Linguistic Programming consists of more than 100 processes, each process geared towards a specific type pf problem. So whether it is resolving team conflict, deepening rapport with clients, managing a state of mind to conquer and win a deal or understanding how values drive motivation, an NLP course is worth every cent you spend.
Seen as an investment rather than an expense, an NLP course gears the mindset of employees towards the corporate mission which in turn drives engagement and eventually bottom line results.
The first level of NLP certification is the NLP Practitioner program. It is here that mindsets shift to gain perspective of working with context rather than content.
As an example if you knew the Language of Influence and used it’s patterns and structure to negotiate, engage your client and have good conversations with your teams, this would take the stress out of life.
So working with context (language structure & patterns) rather than content (the actual conversation) yields faster and better results.
Some hints of what I have observed about successful companies I worked with over the years;

• Smart corporates skill their people in downtime and are ready to hit the ground running in good times
• They do a modular-style NLP course which is phased over months to allow for immersion of the technology. This gives employees time to integrate learnings in small chunks
• Corporate-wide initiatives like Neuro Linguistic Programming courses are launched throughout the company to create a common language that opens communication and heightens transparency

Designing a dream team would be easy to do if NLP certification was rolled out to senior leadership. It is here that leaders would understand the true meaning of working together as a team and what it is to be a leader.
The first step of certifying each member as an NLP Practitioner only serves to make the corporate a better culture, one that would attract talent easily. Especially with the younger generation who look for inspirational leaders today, this would be a drawcard to hire only the best.
A CEO I worked with, hired me to “make his people happy”. He felt if they were happy, they would be happy at work and home. The rest would fall in place naturally and the corporate he ran would benefit. He was 100% spot on.
Within 6 months of conducting Neuro Linguistic Programming courses, bottom line results started to spike and once the momentum began, there was no turning back.
The corporate’s Return on Investment was high. They went from strength to strength. A decision that led to great success. Don’t you wish you were in their shoes?
Sylvia Fernandes is the Founder & CEO of VIA Frontiers. She is a Master Trainer of NLP who is specialised in corporate applications. She started her business in Sydney in 2002 and has been operating in the Asia Pacific Region ever since. She is currently based in Singapore. She is also the author of Bye Bye Black Cat -- Turn Your Luck Around and Realise Opportunities. Visit VIA Frontiers for more information. 

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