A Brief Introduction to NLP for Business
Have you ever heard business people talk about neurolinguistic programming (NLP) and wondered what they were on about? For a while, NLP was a fashionable buzzword and many business gurus positioned themselves as NLP practitioners. Although the initial buzz may have died down, it remains true that the adoption of basic neurolinguistic programming skills can improve business communication, relationship-building, creativity and goal-setting.
Maguire Training offers several courses, such as NLP Awareness and Using NLP in Sales, which enable delegates to harness the benefits of this unique approach to communication, personal development, and psychotherapy and maximise their potential in the business environment.
Firstly though, it's useful to have an understanding of what NLP is and how it can be of benefit to businesses, so for those who think that neurolinguistic programming sounds like so much psychological mumbo-jumbo, here's a brief introduction to NLP for business.
In a nutshell, what is NLP?
Developed in the 1970s by American psychologists Richard Bandler and John Grinder, NLP posits the idea that a person's cognitive, sensory, communicative, behavioural and emotional faculties can be consciously 'programmed' to achieve personal excellence.
How is NLP useful in the business world?
NLP provides a selection of powerful tools and skills which can be used to enhance personal performance in many fields which are particularly relevant in business. Many of the techniques used in NLP provide a basis for persuasive and successful negotiation, for example. Other areas of particular relevance to business are NLP's potential to improve rapport-building, goal-setting and achievement, innovative thinking and to provide a better understanding of the needs and motivations of customers.
How does NLP work in practice?
In very simplistic terms, NLP is an enhanced form of 'brain training'. Applied effectively, NLP enables the brain to automatically respond to real-world stimuli and situations, acknowledge that aspects can be changed to create improvements and suggest the most practical and effective technique for doing so.
What are the benefits of NLP for business?
NLP is intended as a means for unlocking personal potential and improving performance. It achieves this by removing the psychological barriers - such as fear of failure - that would normally inhibit us from testing our abilities in situations outside our normal comfort zones. By providing the confidence to overcome beliefs that would normally limit us, NLP creates a 'safety net' that allows us to perform outside our perceived comfort zones, achieving more than we previously believed we were capable of. Since the personal performance of each employee is the bedrock of business productivity and success, applied correctly NLP can improve staff confidence and morale, increase team performance and productivity and in turn improve customer satisfaction.
How can we help?
Neuro-linguistic programming is a complex and fascinating discipline which has many practical benefits for business. Maguire Training can help delegates explore and realise the potential of NLP and apply it in their own work environments. Both 'Using NLP in Communication' and 'Using NLP in Sales' are available as online training modules as well as classroom-based courses, and can be accessed using Maguire Training's convenient E-learning system allowing delegates to choose the style of training that best suits their needs.
