Neuro Linguistic Programming

Metaprograms

By: Joseph O'Connor

Metaprograms Metaprograms are part of the perceptual filters we put on our experience, the patterns we use to select information. For example, think of a glass full of water. Now imagine drinking half of it. Is the glass half full, or half empty?

Both of course, its a matter of viewpoint . Some people notice what is positive about a situation. Others notice what is missing. Both ways of looking are useful, and people tend favour one view or the other.

Metaprograms are patterns of behaviour, not types of people. They are systematic and habitual, and we do not usually question them if they serve us well. The patterns may be the same across contexts, but they are more likely to change with the context. For example, how we pay attention at work is likely to be different to how we do so at home.

Metaprograms are some of the templates with which we build our map of the world. You will notice other peoples metaprograms both through their language and behaviour. Because metaprograms filter experience, and we pass on our experience through language, certain patterns of language are typical of certain metaprograms.

Metaprograms are important in the key areas of motivation and decision making. Good communicators shape their language to fit the other persons model of the world. So using language that accords with another persons metaprograms preshapes the information and ensures he can easily make sense of it. This leaves him more energy for decision making and getting motivated.

In the next few weeks we will look at several metaprograms, beginning with:

Proactive- Reactive.

This is about action. The proactive person initiates, he or she jumps in and gets on with it. They do not wait for others to initiate action. The reactive person waits for others to initiate, or will bide their time before acting. They may take a long time to decide.

A proactive person will tend to use complete sentences with a personal subject (noun or pronoun), an active verb and a tangible object. eg. I am going to meet with the managing director.

A reactive person will tend to use passive verbs, and incomplete sentences. He is also likely to use qualifying phrases and nominalisations. eg. Is there any chance that it might be possible to arrange a meeting with the director?

Even in such a short example there are many possibilities for making use of this pattern. A proactive person is motivated by phrases like: Go to it, Do it , Time to act. Proactive people are more likely to go ahead and buy and make quick decisions in a sales situation. A reactive person would respond best to phrases like wait, analyse, think about it, see what the others think.

Most people tend to favour one pattern of the other a little. A few people are extremely proactive (the 'entrepreneur' the 'go-getter') and a few are very reactive.

The NLP ( NEURO LINGUISTIC PROGRAMMING) series

Logical Levels - April

Modelling is The Heart of NLP - May

Mastery in NLP - June

The Brain Users Manual - July

Success With Three Cs -August

The Meaning of Life - September