Notice that I have therefore based this on the following
presuppositions:
❏ That you can use these language patterns.
❏ That you can use them in your everyday work.
❏ That you want to use them in your everyday work.
❏ That there are such things as language patterns.
❏ That you are able to wonder about them.
❏ That you would want to wonder about them.
If you accept the introductory statement you are accepting all
these presuppositions simultaneously. Presuppositions are a
powerful form of influence. Used effectively they can
accelerate your progress toward an outcome. Used
ineffectively they will irritate and provoke your listener, even
though your listener may not always be sure what it is that is
having that effect. The value of learning about these patterns is
that you can become aware of what works for you and for
others. By having this awareness you also have the means to
explain what is happening and the words to plan differently.
Presuppositions are very effective in training programs
when you want a group to accept certain premises for their
development. For example, if you want a group to learn how to
give feedback to each other, rather than asking if they want to
give feedback you askhowthey will give feedback. You have
given choice, but not over what you consider to be the non-
negotiables. This is why in coaching it is so important to be
aware of the language you use. There is a big difference between
asking someone “Can youmake a commitment to a next step?”
and “What commitment can you make to a next step?”
To find out what is presupposed in a sentence and therefore
not open to question, there is a simple test. Let’s take a simple
statement, “Colin mowed the grass.” If we negate it, we have
“Colin did not mow the grass.” What is still true is:
❏ Colin exists.
❏ The grass exists.
❏ Colin could have mowed the grass.
❏ The grass can be mowed.
❏ There was an expectation that Colin might mow the grass.
HYPNOTIC LANGUAGE 117Presuppositions are a powerful
form of influence