NLP At Work : The Difference That Makes the Difference in Business

perception. We filter what we experience through our various

senses and we do this in ways that are unique to us. This does

not make one person’s perception right and another person’s

perception wrong; it merely makes them different. We are

different in many ways. If we are willing to explore and learn

from this difference, we ultimately learn how to cooperate and

live together. We learn to accept other people for who and

what they are.

When we are faced with a difference in our perception and

that of others, very often the natural reaction is to seek out

other perceptions that match with our own. In this way we can

confirm our map of the world, but it does not lead to new

learning. Only by going against some of these natural

tendencies and being open to learning from difference can we

develop and increase our influence.

Everything is a metaphor and as such carries information

about the whole. It is the sum of the parts that communicate a

metamessage about our intentions. If we want to get the

“right” message across, we need to know what message each

of the parts communicates, as well as the overall impression of

the sum total of these parts.

Our environment is part of the metamessage, and it is often

the first port of call for new contacts of our business.

I enter the offices of a potential client, a marketing company.

Everything is light and bright. The dominant colors are yellow and

natural wood. An elegant, modern flower display stands in the

corner of reception. Beyond reception I can see clearly into the

open-plan offices. Everyone’s desk is the same, but everyone has

their own personal effects. The receptionist smiles and asks if I

would mind taking a seat while she gets the person I am booked to

see. While I am seated, everyone who comes past asks me if I am

OK and being looked after. There are sweets in the shape of fish in

the bowl beside me and a stack of the latest magazines. I feel I

could happily sit in this reception area for the rest of the afternoon.

140 NLP AT WORK

Perception is all there is

FACTOR 1

ENVIRONMENT

F ACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO METAMESSAGES