Chapter 20: Making Change Easier 329
A pattern interrupt is when a break occurs in a pattern of thought or behaviour.
For example, when a coach asks a client, ‘How can I help?’, the client may take
a deep breath, link into feeling bad about a problem, and burst into tears.
These steps constitute part of the sequence in the programming that the
client has with regards to the problem. The coach may break the flow in the
pattern by doing or saying something unexpected. Anecdotally, Richard
Bandler has been said to have tipped water over a client to break her pattern.
The aim of the unexpected interruption is to break the neurological links that
a person has built into a sequence.
The sword of Damocles of job cuts is still hanging over David, but he no
longer allows himself to become incapacitated. He realises that he has a life
away from work and that he’d rather have a ‘whole life’ than put his life on
hold until he can get away from work at the end of the day.One rather interesting side-effect occurred as a result of David’s acceptance
of the change. His manager noticed that he was far more productive than
other members of staff and decided to offer him a promotion when the cuts
were done. Now David feels that he’s more secure if/when future cuts are
announced and is more engaged with his work. His productivity is better
now that he doesn’t feel the dread that was his constant companion before
he decided to change the way he thought. He gets more recognition for his
work, and so he’s more engaged and finds himself in an upward spiral.Being willing to experiment
When a section of an IT department was being outsourced, some of the
people who were going to lose their jobs buried their heads in the sand
and waited for the inevitable. A couple of people, however, were willing to
experiment with new ways of working and developed their hobbies into
potential businesses. The difference in mindset gave this pair the flexibility
to move forward. The other group was stuck in inactivity and helplessness
because they were unable to think beyond ‘I’ve always worked in IT’ and
hope they’d find work in a diminishing market.Part of this healthy mindset is accepting that nothing’s permanent and that
the person with the most flexibility in a system survives and may even thrive.
Being fearful stops you experimenting and creating options for yourself.