NLP IN ACTION – CASE STUDY 1
In this case study we look at NLP used in a coaching context.
Case study one
The client is male and in his mid-forties. He is a successful entrepreneur, who said that many of his projects “start out of the gate with a bang but success is not sustainable”. This is a problem because, although reaping excellent short-term rewards, he is not achieving on-going growth and development. He cannot think about retirement because a) his personal involvement appears to be critical to the success of his projects and b) each project appears to have a limited life-span, as opposed to each project adding to the expansion of the business as a whole. We have called this client Adrian.
Some of the issues that we highlighted that needed attention were:
1. Is Adrian so excited by new projects that he simply loses interest in a project once the initial creative stages have been completed?
2. Is he providing his support team with the necessary skills and capabilities for dealing with the maintenance stages of the projects?
3. Does Adrian have a clear long-term plan, not only for his business but for each project that makes up that business?
In question 1, it became clear that Adrian is indeed highly creative and that his creativity is at the heart of his entrepreneurial success. His major assets to the company are his vision and energy; he creates something out of nothing. Once this phase is completed, he becomes bored and restless. He starts to sabotage his projects to give himself new challenges so that he can express his creativity and use his energy in problem-solving.
In terms of NLP, what we did was discover the “positive intention” of his seemingly negative behaviour, and his search for opportunities to use his creativity and energy.
The solution Adrian came up with was to take full responsibility for this stage of the business and to create a position for another person (with more suitable strengths) to take over full responsibility for the maintenance stages of the projects.
Question 2 was partly resolved as soon as Adrian resolved question 1. He realised that his team was not equipped to deal with the “big picture” - their skills were more technical. He needed to find a manager who could deal with the specifics of a project, as well as the details of running the project. What he currently had was himself (and he was only interested in the big picture) and his staff (who were only interested in the details).
In terms of NLP, Adrian was operating at the “Milton” level, and his team were operating at the “Meta” level. He needed someone who could slide up and down the continuum, utilising the strengths of each when appropriate.
In considering question 3, Adrian realised that he had been so involved in the start-up stages of his various projects that he had never taken the time to look at the biggest picture of all - or at his eventual outcomes. Adrian realised that growing his company was in itself a project, and he also realised that his business would grow from strength to strength, eventually providing residual income for him. This would then give him the freedom to pursue his other interests, such as travelling and exploring different cultures.
In NLP terms, we discovered that Adrian’s strengths (his vision and creativity) could be used in a different context (building and sustaining a successful company) and his meta program would motivate him (or move him ‘towards’ the achievement of his biggest picture). By creating a ten-year plan Adrian would achieve his overall desired outcome.
Adrian also ascertained that he did not have to be personally responsible for the achievement of each of the steps along the way; he would appoint the “right people for the right jobs”. He left the session bursting with enthusiasm and empowered to do what he did best.
Glossary:
“Meta Programs – habitual and systematic filters we put on our experience.”
“Meta – existing at a different logical level to something else. Derived from Greek, meaning over and beyond.”
NLP Glossary in Introducing NLP, by Joseph O’Connor and John Seymour, Mandala Press, 1990.
Meta-Milton Model continuum. The range of thinking from the specifics of the Meta model (detail focus) through the Milton model (astract thinking).
By Min McLoughlin of Advanced Human Technologies™ and Min McLoughlin Coaching and Consulting. From an original article published in Leadership Magazine, 2004
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