Introduction
As you might, or might not be aware, in my day to day job, I am a manager / coach for a group of highly technical experts. I am happy that I am able to be their manager and being able to coach them on a daily basis. This means I strive to improve every day myself so that I can give my best version to them. And how can I ask of my colleagues to grow if I am not growing as well?
One can grow by doing courses, learning new things, or for example discover yourself more and more.
One of those methods for me that worked out pretty well is the NLP Practitioner course. NLP for me is a highly skilled course (not a training) that enables to you start becoming an excellent communicator and observer. I find this important, things I say have weight, and things that I observe and hear, have a meaning as well. Being able to interpret them at the right levels, means I can relate easier to what is going on and align where possible.
What is NLP?
NLP stands for Neuro-Linguistic-Programming:
The Neuro represents the neurology, the brain, how do we think, where do we think, what makes me me? How is information interpreted?
Linguistic is the language, and then specifically the art of the language. How are my words interpreted? How do I avoid unclear sentences ? What if I get a push back, did I push too hard myself?
Programming stands obviously for ‘programming’ yourself. What can I do to alter the way I communicate? If I know that the other has a preference to visualize things, would it then help if I talk about feelings? No I need to level up to the other so that we speak the same language.
Sounds simple eh? Well, before you can become successful in this, I needed a long running course.
Why find ways to discover yourself?
As previously certified Solution Focussed Coach, I know that as coach you should not have any bias for any of your clients (or in my case colleagues), at all, ever. Period. Why? Well, if you have an opinion about the other already, how can you remain curious to the reasons of the other and find the solution for them within themselves? Having said that, everyone has certain bias’es and it is time to set that aside, the world will become a better place if we are all curious to the other.
There the challenge comes in, because if you do not know what your personal strengths and weaknesses are in real life, how can do know if you have a bias against something or someone?
What do you learn?
Within the NLP Practitioner training of BDPTraining, you will learn yourself quite well. You will see things you always took for granted, and know you can throw it through the waste bin from now on. You will learn how your brains work, like where the hippocampus lies and that it is the cinema of your brains (amongst other uses the hippocampus has), how you can train your brain to become more resourceful. You will do practical hands on training with other curious people that become your friends in relatively short time. You see yourself struggling and knowing that others struggle there too.
One give away that I’ll give you from this post: problems only exist in your head, no one else has your problems. So stop doing them in your head and get rid of them. If someone else has a problem, it is up to you to accept it (and have the problem as well), or just keep it with the other.. I know what I prefer to do!
So what is next?
The course was about 7 blocks, divided over 4 months. After block 1 I mentioned at home that I should do the masters as well. I will continue practising on a daily basis whenever a situation occurs that I can use my skills in. Not in an obsessive damaging way, but in a way to connect to the other person better.
Conclusion
This is one of the longest courses that I took, one of the most intensive courses that I ever had. But also the course that really challenged me and made me curious about other topics regarding the brain and human activity around it. I am pondering several educations that strengthen this knowledge even further. I am not going to promise that I will be doing them, but I am investigating.
Oh, and I found this one of the best courses I ever had, that really enriched me as person, improves me as husband and father, enables me as manager and coach, makes me a better friend, and hopefully others agree with that, and else.. not my problem…