Nuerolinguistic Programming – A tool for

Managerial Counselling
by Nabomita Mazumdar on October 10, 2010

Arthur C. Clarke, “Any sufficient advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic “.

NLP school of thought was started by a computer engineer Richard Bandler and a
psychologist Dr. John Grindler with the concept that every perception can be programmed.
As explained by Tom Butler-Bowdon in 50 Best Self Help classic, if “People work perfectly,
program thoughts, action and feeling, they get a new life.” For e.g.: A TV have a picture tube
inside it. The soap operas that we view on TV are not because of the picture tube. The tube
shows every details as it is received from the broadcasting station and the satelite through the
transmitting waves. It stands same with our brain, here our brain is the picture tube and it
shows us every incident as it received or recorded. NLP facilitates the programming of the
brain so that no matter whatever message it records and we chose our responses and remain
poised.

It focuses on how mind works on the possibility to find a solution. It is referred as ‘Personal
congruence ‘ which can align desires and values to capability. As mentioned by Dr. Fathi El
Nadi, “The people who are most effective are the ones who have a map of the world that
allows them to perceive the greatest number of available choices and perspectives. NLP is a
way of enriching the choices that you have and perceive as available in the world around you.
Excellence comes from having many choices. Wisdom comes from having multiple
perspectives.”. He defined NLP in two parts. Firstly, the Map is not the territory. As human
beings, we can never know reality. We can only know our perceptions of reality. Secondly,
Life and ‘Mind’ are Systemic Processes. The processes that take place within a human being
and between human beings and their environment are systemic.

This is implemented to bring in a marked change through its implementation in managerial

counselling. The Brown-bag, Speak to your HR and other forums including problem solving
for the employee implements NLP. This is necessarily a tool used to connect an employee to
the solution. This allows the employee to voice concern and find a solution from within.
During the counselling program, the HR manager can ask questions about the concern raised
by the employee seeking solution from the situation by choosing the response. This process
takes an entire stock of events by probing. It helps the employee to introspect beyond the
current limitations by removing the limiting factor assumed. It often finds a connection with a
similar event that had happened earlier. Figure out how the solution was configured at that
point of time and bring back the employee to the current situation and implement it. Other
than counselling, NLP is used in profiling candidates during recruitment. Certain areas such
as questing on the candidates motivation to do a task when assigned, thinking styles used by a
candidate while discussing how to get a project done, relating to things, jobs, people or
experiences , handling stress at work , concept of time used by the candidate and etc.

The employee needs to realise the objectiveness involved this process. Every bias to deduce
the result needs to be erased. This process would stand defeated, if the employee feels that the
HR is using a prejudice towards the reporting lead or any other party. This requires practising
openness by the HR and acceptance by the employee. In a situation filled with dissonance,
this stands the biggest barrier. The employee may end up with a feeling of being
brainwashed. The HR needs to set a two way communication to ensure the results drawn
from the NLP session implemented successfully. The trust building will stand as the process
of prime importance in this scenario.