Using NLP for Achieving Results

Mr Sridharan is a one man Army who exhibits top leadership qualities in our midst by creating world class infrastructure in India like Konkan Rail, Delhi Metro etc. Some of his practices are very simple and very effective. I received this article in an email so I do not think I need to get his permission to publish this here. This is for those who want to achieve desired goals inspite of the bureaucratic system around. Hope you enjoy as well as try to practise this in all spheres including Trade Unionism.

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I visualize things in my mind before I have to do them. It's like having a mental workshop.
- Jack Youngblood

Only human beings have the skill and talent to visualize. We have the ability to 'see' our future even before it arrives. It is said that we do everything twice, once in our mind and then in our real life. Next time when you watch tennis player or a cricketer in action, notice what they are doing. They will rehearse their best shot even before the ball arrives. This is mental rehearsal.

In Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP), there is a process called T.O.T.E. This acronym represents the words Test, Operate, Test and Exit. This is very useful tool for planning our strategy for a predetermined outcome.

The first stage is Test. In this stage, we mentally visualize our strategy or action plan to check if we will get the desired outcome with the activities we have planned.

If we are mentally convinced that it will, then we go to the next stage of Operate in which we execute the action plan in real life.

Once we have done this, we go to the third stage of Test in which we check if we have reached the outcome we had in mind.

If the answer is yes, then we Exit. If we did not get the result, then we go back to the first stage of testing an alternative strategy or action plan.

NLP talks about a fixed outcome and a flexible strategy. Unless and until we rehearse our plan of action in our mind, we will not be able to realize the same. This is an amazing talent and you will have to put into practice to realize how powerful is the tool.

------N C Sridharan