Sage have published an excellent text by Bruce Grimley (2013) Theory and Practice of NLP Coaching. Before I say anything about the book, I will explain, for those with no prior knowledge of the principles and practices of neuro-linguistic programming, the basic premise of NLP is to enable individuals to gain access to their most productive emotional state. Bruce Grimley's work is known both nationally and internationally. He is a Psychologist, NLP Practitioner, Trainer, Academic, Coach and Coach Assessor and this critically informed text compares favourably to the plethora of coaching texts currently in the public domain.
Whilst the title suggests it is pitched at persons engaged in the coaching world, this review asserts that the content is transferable to a much wider audience. Grimley writes enthusiastically about the spirit of NLP and invites the reader to go on an adventure of discovery with this particular coaching intervention. His engaging writing style will appeal to academics and laypersons alike. The author's rationale for the application of NLP within coaching goes way beyond a valid set of techniques by demonstrating how the systems of NLP can rapidly bring about insights and shift resistance by utilising the movement between different perceptions and the organisation of thought. The focus is not so much on a range of problems but on the gestalts and systems of an individual and how they can be harnessed to maximise the outcomes of coaching. Overall, this is a closely written, well structured and referenced text, which is both informative as well as pragmatic in its approach.
The content is illustrated by a range of theoretical constructs and research, as well as thought provoking “brain teasers”, exercises, quotes and case-material. The content is useful for anyone currently undertaking training, or considering being trained, in the application of NLP strategies within their chosen field. Likewise, existing practitioners of NLP will find the researched content and critical approach to the subject extremely interesting.
The application of NLP is currently integrated within a range of professions. I know of Master Practitioners of NLP who work within the legal profession, teaching and banking. The most obvious uptake for this text will be the corporate world and the service sectors. Those who stand to benefit from the approach include: consultants, trainers, trainees, coaches, counsellors, students and workers within the health care professions to include front line staff as well as specialists, leaders, managers, negotiators, human resource and people development specialists. I believe the text has a wider distribution value than the title first suggests and is worthy of a place on the recommended reading lists of universities and colleges.
The techniques and strategies of coaching, to include NLP, have a significant contribution to make to the academic subject area of organisational behaviour and organisational development. Training and education, in particular the Business Schools and Sports Departments, recognise a growth in the coaching phenomena and that the knowledge and skill set of coaching has a wide application. Organisations are gaining competitive advantage and improving service delivery by adopting a heightened approach to their inter-organisational and intra-organisational communications as well as their relationship to customers and stakeholders. The challenging concepts of improved communication, organisational culture, improved customer relations and employee engagement has the potential to benefit from the practical knowledge and skills of coaching conversations.
As organisation landscapes downsize, the drive to achieve increased outcomes for less, is fast becoming an organisational reality. In this climate there is a growing awareness that survival and organisational success requires the workplace to provide more than lip-service to the notion of maximising human capital. The value of knowledge transfer, entrepreneurship and the desire for a flexible, engaged, open, honest, emotionally intelligent workforce is now acknowledged by all but the most rigid of organisations. The next question for educators and trainers is, how are we able to change the psyche and aligned behaviours within organisations? This is where the concept of coaching, coaching cultures, coaching conversations and the general application of coaching skills, in the organisation of work, comes in to play.
The focus on NLP techniques and strategies within coaching has the potential to “up-the-game” considerably, in that they are capable of bringing about a state of heightened self-awareness and transformational change. For this reason I recommend Grimley's text to anyone who has an interest in the potential of an integrated NLP approach to coaching, in its many guises, as a mechanism of organisational and personal change.
The content is comprehensive and thought provoking throughout and is structured into three parts. Part one focuses on the development of NLP and coaching psychology. The introductory chapter one provides an historical trajectory of NLP's development between 1967 and 1980 and identifies its early roots within: therapeutic groups; Gestalt work; OD applications; T groups; personal development; training; transformational grammar; linguistics; hypnosis; therapeutic metaphors and more. Chapter 2 is a critical appraisal of the recent proliferation of coaches and the complexities of accreditation and gaining professional status. In consideration of the roles of coaching and counselling the author outlines how varied our understandings of the two roles are. Chapter 3 describes the main tenants of NLP coaching to include: the NLP attitude; the APET model; Meta Models and Representational Systems.
Part 2 develops further the supporting psychological principles of NLP. Chapter 4 explains the supporting psychological principles of NLP, primarily: modelling (Social Learning Theory); Transformational Grammar; Systems Theory and General Semantics. The reader discovers how NLP practice can be understood in terms of flowing from these four theories. Chapter 5 outlines the concept of presuppositions. Put simply, the way a person views and interprets their world is referred to as their “map”. A person's map is built upon principle beliefs, or assumptions, referred to in NLP as presuppositions; “I believe this […] so this is true!”. Presuppositions emerge out of systems theory and cybernetic thinking, which precedes NLP. Within NLP coaching it is a primary source of personal change to both identify and “shift”, or “swish”, a person's held presuppositions for other more resourceful ways of thinking. Chapter 6 details further advances in the use of an individual's maps by the application of the “Meta Model”, which identifies the extent to which a Coachee deletes, generalises and distorts information within their map of the world. Chapter 7 explores the “Milton Model”, and how this utilises the hypnotic relationship, or a Coachee's “altered state” of consciousness during the coaching session. The chapter discusses the relevance of the left and right hemispheres of the brain, humour, cognitive dissonance, techniques of “pacing” and “leading”, the “Interspersal Method”, and the use of metaphors and double binds as a way of arriving at well-formed outcomes. Chapter 8 describes the technique of cognitive “re-framing” and demonstrates that to bring about sustained change the Coach has to work with persons, often limiting, often unconscious, maps of the world. Chapter 9 discusses of the technique of “Anchoring” as a means of readily accessing a resource state. Chapter 10 describes the theory and application of “eye accessing” cues. Chapter 11 outlines the system of “Meta Programs”. Chapter 12 explores the value of “Modelling” as one of the core disciplines of NLP. Chapter 13 looks at the relevance of systems thinking and its aligned belief that the mind and the body are part of the same system. Chapter 14 identifies the basic NLP coaching models of “Meta Coaching” and the application of David Grove's technique of “clean language”.
Part 3 outlines the evidence of NLP's effectiveness and Chapter 15 explores the constituents of good coaching practice. The evidence points to how NLP techniques can potentially bring about rapid shifts in an individual seeking change in their life. Grimley explores the concept of a self-efficacy in coaching as one dependent upon the Coach gaining high levels of self-awareness and emotionally intelligence. He explains the value of “clean” transactions in coaching as ones which lessen the opportunity for the Coach's presuppositions to potentially become the Coachee's presuppositions and by so doing minimise the opportunity for counter-transference in the coaching relationship. Chapter 15 points the way to further research in the area of NLP coaching and identifies the key research challenges. Finally, Chapter 17 lists a range of NLP resources.
This book alone will not teach you how to become an elegant user of the models, techniques and strategies of NLP. In this respect it is not a “how to” manual. It is a comprehensive overview of all there is to know and consider in the application of NLP to coaching practice. This text allays any residual misconception that NLP, born out of the Human Potential Movement of the University of California, belongs in the camp of “Pop-Psychology”. The writing substantiates the models worth and places it centre stage by providing evidence and a coherent argument of its use and application. Grimley calls for the adoption of a new found rigour and systemised approach to NLP's application to coaching, in all of its latter day forms. In my opinion the knowledge base of coaching has been greatly enhanced by Grimley's recent publication.
