Bubbles wrote:Hi
Has anyone had any experience of NLP? Or been on a course?
I'm asking as it seems to be the 'buzz' topic of the moment and there's a course in Cardiff I was thinking of doing, but it's very pricey, so before I go ahead I was wondering if there's someone out there who's done it.....did it live up to it's promises?
Thanks.
Hi Bubbles,
Here is my opinion of NLP, even though I know very little of the organisation setup, it does work. I have glanced quickly through the links and actually recognise, many of the techniques used, on various courses that I have done
NLP is just another super fangle dangle approach, with an American marketing twist, for self realisation, character building, and leadership qualities. Keep your money in your pocket!
The reason I say this, is simply that anyone with a creative mind, discipline, and the experience to acknowledge, their weaknesses, can actually move forward in leaps and bounds.
I had a very poor education, the fundimentals of education and lack of discipline in my infant years, was a total disaster, due to domestic problems with my parents. at 11 years old, i missed the, at the time 11 plus exam, and was placed in file 13, within the school. Bottom class. at 14 I had left school, due to my birthday, being in July, school holidays.
Staying on at school was not an option, we never actually learnt anything, because we had already been stamped as failures.
At 18 I decided to join up for 22 years in the army, and scraped through the exam. The military was the finest option in my life, it made me bloom, I was finding out things about myself, i had never ever considered before.
The army actually developed my character, by the time i left 13 years later, I was full of confidence, highly skilled in many trades and used to instruct SNCO's and teach recruits in basic military training, drill weapons ect, survival training and character building was all part and parcel of the job.
So I would rather recommend that you sign up for specialised courses run for managers and potential leaders, quite often run by ex military personel. A six week survival training course with team members, will give you the practical experience in problem solving, character assesment, self recognition, man management and many other areas of personal growth experience. if you are successful after the ex Military guys have finished with you, thats all you need to know.
Certification is not the real aim, setups like NLP will come and go, and the certificate will be history, because if there's one thing that is good, comes out of America, it is their marketing skills.
It hasn't really been easy for me, after leaving the military, my trades in helicopter aircrewmanship, were very limited in civvy street. But my confidence in survival are second to none, I have more skills, than I care to think about, from mechanics, welding, builder, roofer, steel erector, butcher, social worker refugees, plus i hold all driving licences.
At around 40 years, with no education, I was excepted into business school, to study, with advanced students in there 20's, it was a 3 years course crammed into 1 year, which I successfully finished, in another language than my native tongue, from there I was excepted into the Export Academy Ranum, Denmark, for a 16 week live in course at a cost of 7,500 pound.
Still with no fundimental education behind me, other than experience, I was thrown in with real academics, Candidates in Sceince, Engineering, Business and Marketing and other Company owned managers and MBA's
Around 30 started the course and at the end, I believe 12 were left, they did not all pass the expensive course, the exam consisted of us all seeking intern positions in companies, to evaluate the companies abilities and products for export. Much of the course work was built on NPL techniques and one of our marketing bibles was Dr. Philip Kotler a remarkable marketing guru.
To be honest, it's my opinion that the techniques do work, however, no matter what you do in terms of employment, management or survival, is to acknowledge your weaknesses, and pull on other resources to complete the task at hand.
To do those things, preparation is the key word, and self discipline to carry it out. Military organisation is the fundimental basis of business in many ways, but in stead of enemies, we call them competitors.
Never believe you can remember what you studied, 9 times out of 10 you cannot, the brain only remembers very important things, that are repetitive, So you must discipline yourself to work with checklists.
Just because one signs up for the NPL course, the only benefit you will get out of it, is the fact you knew most of it before, but was never disciplined enough to do it.
Where by, if you take an active self assessment course, with ex military with special force training, you will be put through your paces, of self realisation in a very active environment, and you will be the one having to make a decision, all in real life, your teams safety will be in your hands, you will get to know your ownself inside out and your team, you will see what leadership is, and what it isn't, you will also see, that education is only an asset, in the hands of people with common sense.
Preparation is what its all about! Acknowledging your weaknesses, and your strengths at an early stage.
After my export course I went to uni in Beijing to study Chinese, came back and decided I better get some O levels and A levels.
So you see my bad preparation in life made me a rebel, all the way through my army career i was a rebel, and the Army disciplined me. I was more qualified than my superiors at an early age, in the army and courses and learning have alwasy been in my blood, but like all rebels, i only do enough to satisfy myself when it comes to study, I never do my best. So the choice of being disciplined is there if you want it.
BTW I was downgraded on my A levels for using university terminology, so you can never beat the system, text book theory, i often question why they, the schools continue to teach cock and bull.
You've noticed the way the Yanks (no offence guys) scream and shout in the military, and at sports!
Motivation, me I have always been motivated in what i do, I will always see a result of my motivation, and acknowledge the result, its a kind of brainwashing i guess from the military days.
Like running, I hate running, I'm middle 50's and yet, because of the military, dragging me out of bed at 5.a.m every other moringing to run, it gets implanted in the brain, one hates it, but you do it, I cannot stop, If i see a mountain, i have to run up it, why, because i need to win over myself, I'm a born winner, I don't care that others are running past me, or are faster than me. that is not the test that i set myself.
I can stop and start smoking, when i want, I believe i have the willpower, to do anything i want, because i'm so self confident, to realise the facts, that I can or cannot do it, and if i cannot do it, I will still solve the problem, and not come back with excuses.
So self realisation is to be positive, to be motivated, but not reckless and dangerous, there is a balance, and one will always see more prepared, and better individuals around you, the technique is teamwork, for solving problems, and to utilise the resources for the best results.
I know there was a couple of ex SAS soldiers running courses in UK, up in the lake district for Companies and foreign nationals, the office is actually based in London. I'll try and locate them if you really want to get your feet wet.
