The Neuro Linguistic Programming Coaching Model - A Tool For Coaches

Neuro Linguistic Programming is a great tool for use in personal coaching, business coaching and life coaching. The question is, how do we use Neurolinguistic Programming NLP in a coaching environment?

In fact, neurolinguistic programming NLP is a very natural tool for use in coaching because it relies on a very simple model for personal change. This is a model which is used by anyone who enjoyed personal change, self improvement, etc, and by innumerable coaches everywhere.

THE NEUROLINGUISTIC PROGRAMMING COACHING MODEL

The basic pattern of Neuro Linguistic Programming NLP is as follows:

• Associate into the problem state
• Dissociate from the problem state
• Associate into the resource state
• Take the resource state to the problem state

Given a real understanding of this pattern, it becomes easy to apply in any coaching situation:

• What is the problem that the coaching client has? Are you able to get them to experience that state? If not see below.

• Can we dissociate from the problem state? How do we do this? If we can't do this, what can we do? See below for answers to this question.

• What resource do we need to solve the problem?

• As we feel those resources, how is the problem different now?

ASSOCIATING INTO THE PROBLEM STATE

It is common for a coaching client to enter a coaching session in the problem state. However, they don't always do so. For example they may be so cerebral that they are not able to easily enter the problem state.

Here is an easy way to associate the client into the problem state:

• When did you last feel this?
• When exactly was this?
• Where did it take place?
• What were yo seeing, hearing and feeling at that time and place?

By doing this we can begin to associate the client into the problem state.

DISSOCIATING FROM THE PROBLEM STATE

Dissociating from the problem state is normally relatively easy.

The simplest way is to ask the client how they want to be different.

Sometimes a coaching client may find it difficult to dissociate from the problem state. This is where neuro linguistic programming offers valuable tools for dissociating from the problem state. The tools which NLP offers include:

• Dissociating in space (e.g. over here - over there)
• Dissociating in time (then - now)
• Dissociating is size (that small you - this you)
• Use of metaphor (that person in the story - you)

EXAMPLE

A client walks into your office, complaining that he feels nervous when he has to make a public speech. "I get kinda nervous, it bugs me that I act this way" he says.

You notice that he has not satisfied the first step of the NeuroLinguistic Programming pattern, in that he is talking about his problem, so he is not associated into it.

"When was the last time you felt this way?" you ask. "Oh. Last week I had to give a speech it was horrible!" "Where were you, precisely?" "I was in our big conference room...I saw the faces of our clients..." You see his face fall. Now he is associated into the experience.

"And that's how you've been. How do you want to be?" you ask. You notice his physiology change as he dissociates from the problem state.

"I'd rather be confident". "And what's it like when you confident?" "Oh that's a real rush, I feel great!" You notice his physiology and voice tone change. Now he is associated into the resource state. Time to collapse the states.

"And as you feel that great, notice the faces of your clients in the big conference room..."

CONCLUSION

The coaching pattern is a fundamental NLP skill that we teach on our Neuro Linguistic Programming Practitioner training here in New York.