AUTHOR INTERVIEW
originally intended to be the main part of the possibilities for the future of NLP. Paul talks be evaluated and made credible to audiences
book, Paul tells me, but Part 2, “grew as we about a ‘crossroads’ which I challenge. There beyond the NLP community.”
wrote the book, and that proved to be right is always choice and always, therefore, a Writing the book has been “enough of an
because it adds to the credibility of NLP to set crossroads. What is different about the current effort” for Paul not to consider writing another
it in its context.” one? “It is a very significant time for NLP as just yet. The process of co-writing worked for
Part 3 looks at NLP as a movement, a field,” he suggests, “for three main reasons. Jane and Paul but not as they had imagined.
addresses the tricky but important question of Firstly issues of regulation and accreditation “We divided up the Chapters and planned to
ethics and looks at the relationship to research may make a difference to whether people can write our own. It turned into a much more
and at accusations that NLP is a pseudoscience practice or not.” He cites the Research and collaborative and iterative process. We started
or a cult. Recognition Project led by Frank Bourke in the out with a story to tell and that got lost as the
NLP as a movement reflects a tension USA and EANLPt as examples of engagement writing got quite hard. The story seemed to
between control and openness. “A feature with this issue. “Secondly, the aftermath of the come back as we refined the book.”
of the field is that the founders are still very litigation in the 1990s is still important and My own opinion is that the book achieves its
dominant in it and there can be issues around the field needs to move on from that. Finally, objective and tells the story of NLP in a very
who has the authority to say what NLP is and the engagement between NLP and research is readable way. The context given by the history
how it should be taken forward.” Paul points likely to be critical. Already other fields (such and antecedents of NLP in Part 2 feeds into
out that NLP is still largely run by training as Cognitive Linguistics) are being cited as the the potential for the future and clarifies that, far
organisations. “People are often surprised source for developments that have come from from being a pseudoscience, NLP comes from a
to learn that there is no overall professional NLP and often those developments are not number of very credible streams of ideas, some
structure to NLP.” attributed. It would be better if they were.” of which are still being developed in other
Alongside the questions of standards and In the book, the authors take a look at disciplines and could form what Paul Tosey
calls “a two
way street of
conversation.”
The book is
an important
contribution
to the body
of knowledge
about NLP
and where it
fits in a wider
context. There
is one issue that
may prevent
this book from
making the
impact it could
(and, I believe,
should) make.
That is the
structures lies the major question of ethics. some possible scenarios for the future of pricing of this edition at £55 which may limit
“There are codes of conduct being developed NLP. “One of the most optimistic signs for its circulation. “There is the possibility that the
but the ethical dimension is often not me is that the number of people doing PhD publishers may bring out a paperback edition
explored explicitly in them. There is a richer level research in NLP is growing whilst my after 12 months,” Paul tells me, “but we don’t
conversation to be had and no clear answers. greatest fear is that NLP may already have yet know the criteria for that decision.” I hope
ANLP and The Professional Guild are trying driven itself into a corner.” NLP would not that the Publishers consider doing that earlier,
to encourage that kind of conversation. In my be the first field to rise and then be overtaken so that this book can be read widely in the
view, NLP has important insights to provide on by developments in other fields – in fact NLP community and in the wider business and
the ethical dimensions of helping generally, so that is the nature of development. “NLP development communities.
other fields can benefit from and contribute to came about because a number of ideas
the ethical conversation.” from different fields were brought together
Taking NLP to Academic conferences is, to make something that pushed forward
Ordering details
Paul suggests, really helpful. “It opens up NLP the boundaries of understanding. It can be
Neuro-linguistic Programming: A Critical
and makes it accessible. Many academics see involved in that process again and help to
Appreciation for Managers and Developers
NLP as a self contained field - a movement or shape the next developments in the field of
(Hardcover) by Paul Tosey and Jane Mathison
a cult - so openness is the best way to dispel human understanding. Two steps would be to
ISBN 978-0230516038.
those myths.” engage in more dialogue with researchers in Published by Palgrave Macmillan (6 Nov 2009)
In Part 4, the Authors synthesise their other fields and also to produce more examples
Price £55.00
findings and suggest some alternative of how NLP has worked for people that can
rapport - Autumn 2009
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