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

BELIEF SYSTEMS AND

VALUES

and books (a behavioral statement) than to say “I am an

author” (an identity statement).

This level can also provide a means of thinking about the

key roles you fulfill in your life, e.g., wife, mother, consultant,

author, cyclist, provider. I am these things no matter where I

am and who I am with.

A company’s mission statement defines the identity of the

organization, the unique nature of its business, and

encompasses purpose, i.e., what it does for others. For example:

My mission is to support and develop the leaders of today to

make a positive difference in the world.

This is a visionary mission and expresses the uniqueness of

the business and the person who is running it. It is different to

the mission statements that appear on so many financial

statements: We want to be number one in the car hire

business. We want to be the best web developers in Europe.

These are self-based mission statements and are generally

meaningless to both the employees of the business and their

potential clients.

Our belief systems are shaped by our purpose and identity

and, conversely, they support who we are and what we give.

Our beliefs are views about ourselves, other people, and

situations that we hold to be true. They are emotionally held

views not based on fact:

❏ I believe that people in general can be trusted.

❏ I believe that I can learn from any experience I have.

❏ I believe that the customer's needs are the heart of

business success.

❏ I believe that integrity is the key to a successful business.

For a company these would be the beliefs on which the

company and the way it goes about its business are founded.

They only function as beliefs if the everyday behavior of

management and employees is an expression of these beliefs.

For this to be the case, the beliefs need to be ones that are

drawn from the organization's employees. Ones picked from a

214 NLP AT WORK