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

When we are relating to the world at large it is vital that we

appeal to all senses. In this way we “catch” all the preferences

that our readers, our listeners, our viewers, and our potential

clients might have. At the time of writing there is a backlash

against some e-business propositions; at the same time there is

a boom in interest in “clicks and mortar” businesses. These are

established high street businesses (the mortar) that have

developed ways of attracting people to their premises through

the web (mouse clicks). Given what we know about our need

to appeal to all senses this is not surprising. The combination of

the technology with a physical outlet appeals to both our

intellectual and physical needs. So people are currently more

likely to search for what they want on the web but follow

through with a visit to a store where they can see, hold, touch,

and talk through the items they want to buy.

Is it any surprise that communication is one of the most widely

recognized problems in business? Consider the level of

frustration so many people express with the meetings they

attend. Even when an objective is agreed, it is likely that each

person at the meeting will represent a successful conclusion in

a different way. For example, outcomes could include:

❏ VisualAn image of all the agreed actions written up on a

whiteboard with names against each one.

❏ AuditoryPeople talking to each other at the close of the

meeting, making comments such as: “That’s been really

useful. I know exactly what my department has to do next.”

❏ FeelingsThoughts about shaking hands with other people

at the meeting and a satisfied, warm feeling.

You may already recognize preferences in your thinking, and

they may of course vary from one scenario to another. To check

out any preferences use the questionnaire on page 30,

“Identify your preferred thinking pattern.”

This year my husband got a new company car with a satellite

navigation system. We have used this on many occasions and

we can choose the style in which the directions are represented.

If my husband selects the settings he chooses the smallest-scale

18 NLP AT WORK

Imagined outcomes of a

business meeting

We don’t know what we don’t

know