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What is Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP)?

NLP can enable you to improve how you think, behave and feel - and assist others do the same.

NLP was created in the early 1970s by Richard Bandler, a computer scientist and Gestalt therapist, and Dr John Grinder, a linguist and therapist. Bandler and Grinder invented a process known as 'modelling' that enabled them to study three of the world's greatest therapists: Dr Milton Erickson, father of modern hypnotherapy; Fritz Perls, creator of Gestalt therapy; and Virginia Satir, the mother of modern-day family therapy. They wanted to know what made these therapists effective and to train others in their methods. What is offered today as NLP is the product of this modelling process.

NLP has been variously described as the technology of the mind, the science of achievement, and the study of success. It is based upon the search for and the study of the factors which account for either success or failure in human performance.

• NEURO - refers to how the mind and body interact
• LINGUISTIC refers to the insights into a person’s thinking that can be obtained by careful attention to their use of language
• PROMGRAMMING refers to the study of the thinking and behavioural patterns or ‘programmes’ which people use in their daily lives.

It is based on four operational principles:

1. KNOW what outcome you want to achieve
2. Have sufficient SENSORY ACUITY (acuity means clear understanding) to know if you are moving towards or away from your outcome
3. Have sufficient FLEXIBILITY OF BEHAVIOUR so that you can vary your behaviour until you get your outcome

NLP can help:

• Set clear goals and define realistic strategies
• Coach new and existing staff to help them gain greater satisfaction from their contribution
• Understand and reduce stress and conflict
• Improve new customer relationship-building and sales performance
• Enhance the skills of customer care staff and reduce customer loss
• Improve people's effectiveness, productivity and thereby profitability

What is Emotional Intelligence?

Emotional Intelligence - EQ - is a relatively recent behavioural model, popularized by Daniel Goleman's 1995 Book called 'Emotional Intelligence'. The early Emotional Intelligence theory was originally developed during the 1970's and 80's by psychologists Howard Gardner (Harvard), Peter Salovey (Yale) and John Mayer (New Hampshire).

With regard to organizational development, EQ principles provide a different way to understand and assess people's behaviours, management styles, attitudes, interpersonal skills, and potential.

Emotional Intelligence translates into knowing how to control your emotions, motivate others, be a leader, have charisma, be a positive and optimistic person, build a strong social support network, attract what you want, and be a team player.

It can be used in human resources planning, job profiling, recruitment and selection, management development, customer relations and customer service.

Benefits of coaching for organisations

Coaching can help organisations make sustainable improvements in areas of productivity, internal and external communications, employee attitudes, and recruitment and retention of staff.

Benefits for the organisation:

• Improve productivity, quality, customer service and shareholder value
• Can gain increased employee commitment and satisfaction, which can lead to improved retention
• Demonstrate to employees that an organisation is committed to developing its staff and helping them improve their skills
• Support employees who’ve been promoted to cope with new responsibilities
• Help employees to sort out personal issues that might otherwise affect performance at work
• Gain a satisfactory process for self-development
• Support other training and development initiatives

Benefits for the individual:

• Learn to solve own problems
• Improve managerial and interpersonal skills
• Have better relationships with colleagues
• Learn how to identify and act on development needs
• Have greater confidence
• Become more effective, assertive in dealing with people
• Have a positive impact on performance
• Have greater self-awareness and gain of new perspectives
• Acquire new skills and abilities
• Develop greater adaptability to change
• Improve work-life balance
• Reduce stress levels

The first step is an exploratory conversation to find out needs, coaching aims and how these align with company aims. It should also be checked that coaching is the appropriate medium. When there is agreement to go ahead, the first coaching session should seek shared clarity on the aims and outcomes of the coaching sessions, on the scope and approach and the duration period.

With this in place a coaching plan can be developed together with indicators of progress and success. Any coaching plan must ensure a focus on the agreed aims, and must also ensure milestones and measures are in place. This allows overall progress, as well as shorter-term agreed actions, to be reviewed.

As a guide, each coaching session should last one to two hours, and the interval between each session should be enough to allow the individual sufficient time to put any resulting plans into action. It may also be helpful to have telephone conversations between sessions. From time to time coaching sessions could even be conducted on the telephone.

In summary, coaching can be a very effective development tool, and is most effective when a genuine need for it is identified.

Networking tools to grow your business

In the business world, networking involves making contact with other people and it’s one of the most important skills of successful influencers. Ask any successful business person and they will tell you that above all else, networking skills are absolutely vital to grow your business.

So, what are the fundamentals of successful networking?

Firstly, a positive attitude is absolutely essential. Remember that information sharing is a key factor in successful networking.

You can build a successful networking lifestyle through effective communication, long-term partnerships, and word-of-mouth marketing. Successful business networking is building long-term relationships, rather than just seeking the so-called quick sale.

Non-verbal communication is as important as the spoken word and networking will be more successful if you use positive body language and look confident.

The most successful networking specialists communicate effectively, are detail-oriented, and possess strong problem-solving and analytical skills.

Look for interesting events to go to; business clubs, associations, meetings, seminars, conferences, presentations, breakfast briefings, lunches, or even start your own networking club.

Your image is very important, as it helps maintain your self-esteem and build your confidence.  Projecting an image of warmth, approachability, understanding, knowledge, empathy, will help form longer lasting relationships.

Learn to initiate a conversation, actively listen to what the other person is saying, and use positive body language and subtle mirroring techniques to develop rapport. 

Use your business card, and don’t forget to follow up on contacts. Make sure to keep a written list of people you meet at events for future reference.

Stick to these fundamentals and you’ll find your business will grow at a faster rate.

Employee retention

It is now relatively common to change jobs every few years, rather than stay with one company throughout the employment life, as was once commonplace. Turnover is becoming a serious problem in today's business environment. In addition, employees are increasingly demanding a work-life balance.

The Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development’s (CIPD) ‘Recruitment, retention and turnover survey 2007’ reported the overall employee turnover rate for the UK is 18.1%.  The highest levels of turnover (22.6%) are found in private sector organisations.

So how does your company compare? What are you, as a business owner, doing to ensure low turnover rates?

What are the potential causes of high turnover? As well as economic and labour market conditions, other causes can include non-competitive salaries, high stress, boredom, poor supervision, poor fit between the employee and the job, inadequate training, poor communication, and organization practices.

How can your company address these issues? Well, firstly, employers must recognize that quality of work life is becoming more and more important to employees. Employees want to be valued, recognised for their contribution, involved in the development and growth of the company, and have their training and development issues addressed. Companies with low turnover rates are employee oriented. 

Be flexible, responsive and creative in developing programs to address employee needs. Investing in upgrading the skills of the workforce, introducing flexitime, providing child care, and compensation and benefit schemes can result in higher productivity and long-term growth.

If an employee is a good fit with the company, i.e. their values, principles, and goals clearly match those of the company, it will go a long way toward in ensuring employee loyalty and retention.

How To Influence People And Win Them Over

As a business leader, your role requires you to influence people just about all of the time. It may take the form of gaining support, inspiring others, persuading other people to buy your product or service, engaging someone's imagination, or creating relationships.

There is no right way, nor is there only one way to influence others. You will never to be able to control people, but you will be able to let people control themselves in ways that benefit you.

The secret to getting what you want is the way you go about getting it.

Know What People Need

There are three main goals people subconsciously seek. They are:

1. Symbolic rewards - We all have the need for symbolic rewards, such as recognition and praise. Everybody wants to feel important and special.
2. Material gains - Material rewards mean a lot to people, whether they realize it or not. In any capitalist society, a person's status is judged by his material gains. Therefore, since money produces material gain, it is a strong motivator, and its presence can have a strong influence on others.
3. Security - Everyone needs security and stability. Security is attained when people feel they belong and are needed by others. People want security in their jobs, friends, family, etc. Let people know what you have to offer and what you expect from them in return. Tell them why the relationship you have with them is the way it is.
   Outstanding influencing skills require a healthy combination of interpersonal, communication, presentation and assertiveness techniques.

It is about adapting and modifying your personal style when you become aware of the affect you are having on other people, while still being true to yourself. Behaviour and attitude change are what's important, not changing who you are or how you feel and think.

Follow the principles outlined above and you will become a more influential person. Not only will people be happy with you, but you will be happy with yourself.

Inspire and motivate others as a business leader

With today’s ever increasing demand for your business to produce big results, motivating your workforce is so very important. Management must consistently model fairness, integrity, leadership, and accountability. Your leadership must be extraordinarily responsive to the needs of your customers and your workforce.

The study of motivation consists of looking at the work of Maslow, Herzberg and others and leadership focuses on different types of leadership.

The word ‘leadership’ can refer to ‘influencing a group of people to move towards goal achievement’.  Whereas management can refer to ‘the act, skill or manner of managing, handling, direction, or control.’

In todays competitive and fast changing business environment it is fair to say that more leadership than management is required. It is also fair to say that a business can be well managed, but poorly led.

One of the biggest problems facing business today is how to motivate and engage employees. Your business is likely to be made up of people who thirst for recognition, thrive for successes, and eagerly look for leadership and motivation.

It is probably the individual manager’s actions and behaviour that has the greatest immediate effect on staff motivation…or lack of it. Coercive leadership inhibits the organization's flexibility and dampens employees' motivation.

To accomplish set goals, business leadership requires communication, guidance and above all, motivation. Good business leadership should lead by example. Effective leadership must motivate individuals at all levels to move to great performance.

Before motivational strategies can be developed, managers have to start the process of getting to know their employees, and understanding how employees become motivated.

When employees are not interested in their work or they’re bored, employee motivation is low and productivity drops. Generally, employees are motivated if they feel their job is important and they are appreciated and valued.

People are motivated in different ways.  Firstly, intrinsic motivation primarily deals with the feelings an employee has when they have done a good job.
They do it because they enjoy it.  Secondly, extrinsic motivation refers to a tangible or intangible reward such as praise, pay increases, bonuses, and promotions.

Most employees want to know that success and achievement in their job can lead to a promotion, higher salary, recognition and esteem by others, increased responsibilities, and even greater autonomy. Managers, or leaders, should always make employees aware that promotion within the company is possible, and is not merely based on years of service but on ability, success of projects, and increasing self-initiative.

Since motivation is personal, aim to align staff's individual drives with the company's purposes as well as team objectives. Good business leadership makes room for a team in planning and problem-solving. A key outcome of every leadership talk must be physical action that leads to results. Lack of effective teams results in internal conflict and inefficiency.

Managing work-load and expectations in today’s frenetic business world is a challenging but vital skill. Feedback on your leadership is very important.  Ask for feedback, listen to comments, and act on suggestions that will help your business succeed.

Improving the organization’s motivational climate by acknowledging the good performance of employees, and by providing appropriate recognition, is not an insurmountable task. There must be an open and trustful atmosphere, based upon respect, for motivational efforts to be effective.

Effective leadership not only enhances business performance, but it fosters employee motivation, job satisfaction, performance, and organizational commitment, while reducing absenteeism and turnover.