The principles which form the foundation of NLP have been modeled from key people who consistently produced superb results, as well as from systems theory and natural laws. As well as a set of powerful skills, NLP is a philosophy and an attitude that is useful when your goal is excellence in whatever you do.
A few of the principles are listed below:
If what you are doing is not working, do something else.
If you always do what you've always done, you will always get what you've always gotten.
Choice is better than no choice.
The system (person/institution/country) with the most choices and flexibility has the best chance of success, survival, and/or influence.
The meaning of your communication is the response you get.
While your intention may be clear to you, it is the other person's interpretation and response that reflects your effectiveness. NLP teaches you the skills and flexibility to ensure that the message you send equals the message they receive.
There is no failure, only feedback. What seemed like failure is usually success that just stopped too soon. With this understanding, we can stop blaming ourselves and others, find solutions, and improve the quality of what we do.
Anything can be accomplished if the task is broken down into small enough steps. Though a major project can seem overwhelming at first, defining and sequencing the steps can make it more easily achievable.
We are always communicating. Words are only a small part of our total communication. Facial expressions gestures, posture, and voice quality are key components of nonverbal communication. Even when we remain silent, we are communicating. An effective communicator pays attention and responds to what happens both verbally and nonverbally in their interactions. When we learn to notice and respond at that level, the quality of our interactions increases dramatically.
Behind every behavior is a positive intention. By understanding that people have some positive intention for themselves in what they say and do, it's easier to stop getting angry and stuck, start to move forward, and enjoy more flexibility and grace.
