Hickman / Jacobson The POWER Process

An NLP approach to writing
1. Auflage 1997
ISBN: 978-1-84590-220-9
Verlag: Crown House Publishing
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: 6 - ePub Watermark

E-Book, Englisch, 256 Seiten

Distilling the essence of what makes a writer successful, The POWER Process applies the NLP model to writing in all forms. This invaluable aid and reference guide will revolutionise and energise your approaches to writing. ' The authors have pioneered new ground ... excellent, readable and practical' L. Michael Hall PhD

Dixie Elise Hickman has a PhD in English. She was introduced to NLP in 1980 and quickly found applications to every area of her life. In addition to writing, those applications have ranged from teaching, training and administration (as director of a university writing program) to counselling, performing arts, healing (Reiki Master) and parenting.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Hickman, Dixie Elise

Jacobson, Sid

Leseproben

Preface To
Neuro-Linguistic Programming

Neuro-Linguistic Programming was developed in the early 1970’s by Richard Bandler Ph.D., an information scientist, and John Grinder Ph.D., a linguist. It grew out of their research into the structure of influential communication, at the University of California at Santa Cruz. Early studies were conducted on the communication styles and techniques of extremely powerful psychotherapists. Later the inquiries were expanded into a wide variety of other fields. Through this study of highly successful people, Bandler and Grinder discovered common patterns of behavior that made people effective in their chosen field.

This explains some of the philosophy behind the technology and the assumptions on which it is based. You may, if you’re very impatient to begin writing, save this section for later reading. But if you’re wondering about what kind of tools we’ll be using and about the attitudes of the authors toward you, here is some insight into our basic beliefs.

The technology, or methodology, of NLP is human modeling—building models of how people perform or function in different endeavors. It is also based on an attitude that anything that anyone can do can be duplicated by others. The combination of this attitude and methodology creates applications and techniques on a continual basis. NLP is full of practical applications needed by everyone—for example, writing skills.

PRESUPPOSITIONS OF NLP

One great place to start in exploring new technology is to look at its underlying assumptions, or presuppositions. In NLP, these are useful ways of thinking about people, their problems, communication, needs and values. It is not necessary that you agree with all of these, they are simply the ones we believe allow us to be effective. They are also guidelines for being a persuasive communicator in any medium, not just writing. We invite you to act as if they are true, and see the result.

1. The map is not the territory.

This is a very old way of saying that our beliefs and ideas about how people, life and the world work aren’t necessarily accurate. They are just a guide, or map, of how things work. It may be that you have been following some old rules or guides about writing that are actually getting in your way, rather than helping you. Maybe it’s time for a new map. You’re about to get one.

2. All behavior has some “positive” intention. People make the best choices they perceive are available to them.

No matter how weird you think people’s or your own behavior is, there is some good reason behind it. Sometimes you have to do a great deal of questioning and thinking to get it to make sense, but with patience and perseverance, you can do it. Maybe you get stuck at certain times in your writing and don’t yet know why. Or perhaps you believe that the person you are writing to is evil and dangerous and doesn’t deserve to read your brilliant prose. In both cases you can make your task very difficult and even quite painful. If you assume that you have a good reason for being stuck, and that the other person has a good reason for being however they are being, then that assumption of positive intent can change your thinking—enough to get you going in the direction you need. We’ll show you lots of ways later.

3. The meaning of any communication is the response it elicits, regardless of the communicator’s intent.

It is really easy to blame others for misinterpreting what you want them to do. Good communicators, especially good writers, take responsibility for getting others to understand them. People respond to what they think they hear, see, or understand. Assume that people are responding appropriately, then figure out how you got them to do it. It will make you think and communicate differently, and understand people much better.

4. The mind/body relationship is cybernetic: a change in one part of the system will affect other parts.

Most people realize that our thinking affects us physically, even to the point of making us sick or well. By the same token, if we are not healthy, or even comfortable, we won’t think very well. Learn to control your physical and mental processes effectively, and there is little you can’t do.

5. There are no mistakes, only outcomes. There are no failures, only feedback.

Every thing we do, successful or not, can be learned from. If we take results as feedback, they can teach us a lot about how to behave and live. People who kick themselves for their mistakes usually don’t take the time to carefully analyze the causes and effects. They don’t learn all they can. Those who don’t learn from their own history are condemned to repeat it.

6. All of us have all of the internal resources we really need—which doesn’t mean we couldn’t use a little help in finding them.

People are resilient. They are smart. They are capable. When they don’t seem to be any of these things it is because they are not in touch with their internal resources and strengths. The best help is that which gets people to use their own strengths, talents, and gifts. That’s why this book is filled with exercises.

7. All the information you need can be obtained through clear and open sensory channels.

We all know that we often look around wildly, and needlessly, for that which is often right in front of us. Whether this is our car keys, the pencil we just put down, the right person for the job, or a new idea, if we pay attention, we will find it. If we don’t, we won’t.

8. An effective person (writer) needs three characteristics:

i. Flexibility of behavior to get results.

ii. The sensory acuity to notice the results.

iii. The good judgement to know whether the results are worth getting.

Many problems are created by doing the same things, over and over, whether they work or not. The old saying, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again” needs to have more added to it. Perhaps, “try, try again, in a new and different way.” Flexibility. Also, especially when trying something new, you have to pay close attention to see the results, whether you’re working with people or things. Finally, you need to keep in mind that simply being able to get something done doesn’t automatically make it a good idea. It needs to be considered in relationship to all the other things that it can effect. This need for awareness is certainly the case in writing.

Corollaries—Resistance is a sign that:

i. Rapport has not been effectively established or maintained.

ii. Objections have not been properly considered and addressed..

People often complain that others don’t, or won’t, go along with their ideas. These two corollaries explain why. You have to establish rapport, usually just to get people to pay attention to your ideas. Then you can broach the task of getting them to agree to your ideas or carry them out. Also, you have to be willing to listen to, respect, and respond to the concerns of other people who you are involved with. The best, most persuasive, writing in the world won’t overcome poor rapport or legitimate objections.

9. The law of requisite variety: The part of any system with the most options in its behavior will be the part that is in control of the system.

Flexibility = options = control. Simple.

10. There is no such thing as a dangerous or unethical process or technique, only dangerous and unethical users (people). It is up to us to know the difference and act accordingly.

Influencing others is neither good nor bad. You must decide that what you’re doing has a purpose that is worthwhile. If your intentions include a good and worthwhile outcome for everyone involved, it would be silly, and could even be harmful, not to use your abilities to influence others.

11. If it is possible for someone in the world, it is possible for others. It is only a question of how.

If you believe you are very limited in your abilities you will act as if those limitations are real. They’re not. Act as if you can do anything others can do, and it will motivate you to find out how they do what they do. Then you can do it, too. The procedures we’ll show you are based on what effective people do. They work for them, and they’ll work for you.

NEURO-LOGICAL LEVELS

The latest, and one of the most useful, contributions NLP has made is called the Neuro-Logical Levels. These are levels of analysis, useful in organizing your thinking, and arranged in a hierarchy. This kind of analytic tool has been applied to a number of fields of study and problems to be solved. For our purposes, it can be an extremely helpful “jumping-off point” to check our logic in approaching a writing situation or task. The levels look like this:

Let’s take a good look at this arrangement from the bottom up, because it will make more sense that way. As almost everyone intuitively realizes, a safe and properly designed environment is essential to most projects. For life itself, food, shelter, and security are essential. Writing is certainly no exception, and like other specialized tasks, writing has its own environmental requirements. Most people need a quiet, reasonably comfortable, well-lighted place to gather their thoughts. Also, the right tools are important: things like writing utensils or computer, dictionary and other references, and the other obvious things we’ve all found we need.

It is...