DEBATE
NLP – a snapshot
or a living process?
The debate in the last issue of Rapport (Summer 2009)- Balancing Integrity with
Making Money in delivering NLP - ended with a comment. “The very diversity
that we value within the NLP community may be holding it back.” Andy Coote
returns to that topic in this issue.
client, critic or academic? As Chris Morris
writes, “quite early on there was already some
confusion between a) NLP – the study of the
I
n preparation for this issue of Rapport, I structure of subjective experience, using the confident and successful. I read on the internet
was fortunate to have conversations with processes of modelling, and b) Applications that NLP is about overcoming phobias.” With
Dr Wyatt Woodsmall (see p10) and Dr Paul of NLP – using the “trail of techniques” to Paul Tosey, I explored the metaphor of NLP as
Tosey (see p48) and the issue of diversity came influence yourself and other people.” In his a Bazaar where “some stalls are shiny, bright and
up in both conversations. I also picked up an forthcoming book, Paul Tosey (with co author have special offers and some are dusty old ones
article by Chris Morris, NLP Event promoter Dr Jane Mathison) expands that to six faces, but have valuable ideas for sale.” Or as Wyatt
and host of NLP Connections called “Can ‘Practical Magic’ (how we communicate); Woodsmall sees it, “we need to understand that
NLP be what it has become” (see box) which Methodology; Philosophy; Technology; what some people call NLP has nothing to do
resonated with my thinking on the subject and Commodity; and Professional Service. with what others call NLP. Richard Bandler used
from which Chris has kindly given permission The problem that arises is that the to say – ‘people say they teach NLP but it has
for me to quote. It is from those sources that I conversations relating to these different areas nothing to do with what I came up with’.”
will draw in developing this article however in become confused and conflated. Just as early Which brings us back to the idea that NLP
this debate the conclusions (and any errors) are research results get translated into the latest is a nominalization, that it can be seen as a
very much my own. ‘Cure for Cancer’ on the front page of the Daily static moment in time rather than a continuing
In NLP we often talk about nominalization. Mail, so working hypotheses can be mistaken for process. Paul Tosey points out that NLP did
It is a way in which a verb can be turned into promises of practical solutions and professional not “arrive from Mars fully formed” but rather
a noun with the result that “It’s like taking debate over the validity of findings can spill out developed, over years, out of a number of
a snapshot of a moving object, you don’t into the public facing parts of NLP practice. valid ‘steams of thought and ideas’. Wyatt
see the movement any more, just the (static) Marketing the public facing areas of NLP Woodsmall adds that “a lot of the language
object.” (Wikipedia article on the Meta Model). (using Tosey and Mathison’s model) involves of linguistics we inherited from John Grinder
When we talk about NLP, are we also using a technology (techniques), commodity (products along with vocabulary such as the Meta Model
nominalization? Are we talking about something and services) and Professional Service and the Milton Model. The models are very
that is no longer what it was and, maybe, never (consulting, coaching and therapy). Chris Morris powerful but the labels are hopeless.” He
was? suggests, “It’s become confusing though. As a suggests that NLP needs ‘relanguaging’, a
The meta model approach might be to brand, NLP is in chaos. Some people have heard thought that Paul Tosey sees as less important.
challenge the use of the term NLP with the there’s this thing called NLP that can make “NLP is a Community of Practice and all
question ‘and what do you mean by NLP, you rich. Others have heard there’s an NLP such communities have their own language. It
exactly?’ Does what you mean differ according diet that can make you lose weight. I heard on is critical though, that we engage with other
to who is using the term – practitioner, potential the radio that NLP is a way to become more communities and get mutual understanding of
4 | Autumn 2009 - rapport
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