Marielena Sabatier explains how Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) can help move coaching to a transformational level.

Albert Einstein said: "We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them." As a coach, you can help someone to shift their way of thinking, to overcome obstacles in their personal or professional life. And if you’re looking for a particularly effective way of helping your client to see their world differently, then you should consider NLP.

NLP helps us recognise that our way of thinking and the way we see our circumstances can be changed. Developed in the 1970s by Richard Bandler and John Grinder - under the tutelage of Gregory Bateson - at the University of California, Santa Cruz, NLP is a multi-dimensional process that develops behavioural competence and flexibility and it sheds light on the mental and cognitive processes behind behaviour.

Bandler and John Grinder said: "We as human beings do not operate directly on the world. Each of us creates a representation of the world we live in. That is, we create a map or model which we use to generate our behaviour. Our representation of the world determines to a large degree what our experience of the world will be, how we will perceive the world and what choices we will see available to us as we live in the world."

One of the presuppositions of NLP is 'the map is not the territory'. What does this mean? It means that our subjective experience is based on our filters. Our experience of reality is limited by our senses and by our values and beliefs. Based on our values and beliefs we create generalisations, deletions and distortion of our experience. Therefore there is no such thing as a universal truth. We all have versions of our ‘maps’ based on our filters.

We need these three filters to cope with all the information we receive from our senses, otherwise we would go into overload, like a computer. We use these filters to learn. For example, if we put our hand in the fire, we get burned. So we learn the generalisation that fire burns our skin and it is painful.

Distortion is another filter. Based on our beliefs, sometimes we don’t hear compliments, maybe because we believe we are not worthy or them or when we hear them we may distort them and think that the person doesn’t mean it. Our distorted interpretation of a situation affects the ‘map’ of our perception of the experience.

Coaching

By understanding human dynamics and the way other people process and use information - and how their values and beliefs shape their perception of reality – a coach can be more effective in motivating or inspiring others. With a deeper awareness of how the mind works and how it affects behaviour, a coach can unlock a coachee’s capabilities and help them overcome any obstacles that may be holding them back from a more successful life.

This form of holistic coaching is often called transformational coaching. Effectively, it is aimed at helping an individual to understand who they are in the wider scheme of things and transforming their sense of self. During this type of coaching, people will gain a better understanding of their values and the deeply held beliefs that impact how they show up in the world. Often deeply held limiting patterns (eg poor relationships, poverty consciousness) will be released so that the individual can then enjoy a whole new way of being.

Adopting the presuppositions of NLP helps a coach to achieve this because it enables him or her to create a safe space for the coachee, as there is no judgement. The coach knows that there is no such thing as a universal truth, and that it is important to respect the coachee’s map of the world. The coach can help the coachee add more detail to the map by using NLP techniques.

For example, the Meta model is a questioning technique which has the purpose of helping the coachee to realise that there is more to their subjective experience. The questions are meant to help the person recognise what generalisation, distortions or deletions they have imposed on their reality. The aim is for the coachee to increase the detail in their ‘maps’ and find more choices.

‘Perceptual positions’ is another technique which helps the coachee to tap into their inner resources and potential by experiencing the situation from different perspectives. It requires that you experience the situation from your perspective, from the other person’s perspective (with their values and beliefs) and from an objective perspective. By putting themselves in the other person’s shoes, the coachee can further understand the behaviour of the other person and recognise that they are contributing to the problem. In order to become part of the solution, they must recognise they are part of the problem and choose a different way of experiencing the situation.

These are two of the many NLP techniques available that can help coaching become a transformational process for the coachee. As they become more self-aware and understanding of other people’s behaviour, they can start taking responsibility for their choices and create a better situation for themselves. It can transform their perception of their life.

Marielena Sabatier is co-founder of coaching and leadership development firm Inspiring Potential. www.inspiring-potential.com