1. Mr. Landsiedel, you are a licensed psychologist, trainer for Neuro-Linguistic Programming, and Germany's largest classical NLP educator. What can one expect from your field? What is the benefit of NLP?
NLP is a method that allows for rapid changes in oneself and others. It involves various levels of change, such as behavior (losing weight, being more consistent, etc.), expanding one's skills (learning something new, becoming more creative), reconsidering one's own attitude (changing from "I can't do this!" to "I'll do my best"), and exploring one's values and identity. NLP provides us with a variety of very concrete methods that work well in practice for different people. Furthermore, NLP offers specific tips on how to improve our communication with others. This allows us to connect more deeply with others, persuade them more easily, and better avoid conflicts.
2. Is it really possible to program oneself for success?
Yes, of course! First, it is important for each individual to determine what success means to them. In NLP, it is all about clear goals that can be described using all senses. Then, I can review my current strategies and replace them with new, better strategies. This sounds simple, but it requires practice. NLP is not something you learn overnight; it is a very fast method, but it still requires practice and training. Many people have self-sabotage programs. For example, they lack the discipline to stick to their planned exercise routine. After a few days, they find themselves back where they started. In such cases, using NLP to activate one's own resources or having a little chat with one's inner critic can help in following through with the plan. With NLP, we can effectively motivate ourselves and put ourselves in useful states.
3. Does the impact of NLP only affect intrinsic motivation or does it extend to other parts of personality?
Motivation is just one of many applications. Essentially, NLP is a method that can be used to transform one's entire personality. It is about gaining the freedom to become the person one truly wants to be - someone who overcomes many unnecessary internal barriers and unleashes their full potential. Some individuals may experience a lot of inner restlessness, stress, anger, or lack of self-confidence. Others may feel driven internally and constantly feel the need to perform. NLP influences the entire internal communication and personal development. It makes us aware of many processes, enabling us to engage with them and make changes. NLP is widely used in coaching and psychotherapy. The topics and applications are limitless, whether in relationships, flirting, sports, health, sales, or other professional contexts.
4. Do you believe that someone who possesses knowledge of NLP can navigate daily life better than someone who does not have such knowledge?
Absolutely. An NLP practitioner is not easily swayed by random thoughts into having a bad day. They can actively influence their mood, envisioning internally in the morning what will make their day great. When faced with stressful situations, they can easily step out of stress and adopt a different attitude towards it. In conversations, an NLP practitioner places great importance on the conversational atmosphere and mutual sympathy. They observe, inquire, listen attentively, and acknowledge that the other person has a different "map of reality." In dealing with children or partners, they can easily step out of stressful situations and find new solutions. Bad news does not shake them. They can dissociate from it and reconsider it. NLP makes us very flexible and allows us to be much closer to other people.
Many NLP strategies have become known through other methods, but there is still much room for consistently applying them in everyday life.
5. How can bosses and department heads benefit from this? Does it facilitate employee management and performance?
Bosses can better take care of themselves and use the methods in dealing with their employees. They can: 1. Set clear goals and discuss them with employees. NLP offers very sophisticated tools for this. 2. Ask precise questions and build rapport. The most common reason for resignations is dissatisfaction with the immediate supervisor. "He doesn't listen to me!" "He doesn't consider my suggestions" ... NLP trains in simple steps how to become much more empathetic internally and externally. Through precise questioning models, a deep level of mutual understanding can be achieved without the employee feeling attacked or hurt. When there is trust, dealing with most factual issues becomes very easy. 3. Address different employees differently. Through NLP, a boss realizes that not all employees are the same and therefore do not want to be treated the same. Some employees like to work according to fixed rules. Others need more freedom to perform at their best. Employees also have different strengths and need tasks where they can showcase their strengths. 4. Coaching employees. Not every company always has a sensitive coach on hand who can address an employee's concerns. If the boss has knowledge of NLP, they can often resolve many success barriers of the employee in a short conversation. A termination discussion suddenly turns into a motivational conversation, and the employee stays. 5. Personnel selection. With NLP meta-programs, it is much easier to select the right employees for the position to be filled. Being in the right position greatly enhances employee performance.
6. Can you give us some quick tips from your field that are easy to implement but show results?
In our daily lives, it is often important to be able to quickly change our states, for example, from worry and fear to optimism and self-confidence.
1. Tip:
A quick change can be achieved through our body. Stand upright, raise your arms. Take a deep breath in and out. In this posture, it is impossible to feel bad.
2. Tip:
Imagine a goal you want to achieve. Take a moment for this. Now change the internal representation. Make the image bigger, as if you were sitting in the front row of a movie theater. Choose a soundtrack as you would for a good movie and listen to it internally. Now change the camera perspective. Imagine you are Steven Spielberg and are about to shoot the trailer for your new film. The film should be emotional and intense. You want everyone to see the movie afterwards. By doing this with your goal, it will gain a magnetic attraction, and your motivation to achieve the goal will dramatically increase.
3. Tip:
You have an important conversation with another person coming up. To prepare, imagine you are that other person. It's best to have two chairs. Sit on one chair as yourself and on the other as the other person. Now sit on the other chair and pretend you are the other person. Orient yourself briefly by asking: Who am I here? How old am I? What do I do? What is important to me? What do I want to achieve in the conversation? Etc. It may take some practice to fully benefit from this exercise, but it is amazing how our perspective on the conversation changes when we try to put ourselves as much as possible in the other person's shoes. With this information, you will approach the conversation in a completely different way.
4. Tip:
During the conversation, observe your conversation partner closely. Then mirror selected aspects of their body language to subconsciously give the other person the feeling: I am like you. Many experiments have confirmed that when we like people, we imitate them. This can also be used in the opposite direction. We tune into the other person. If someone is very fast and frantic, it is usually not effective to be deliberately calm. We must first meet the other person halfway to then lead them to calmness. This is also known as Pacing and Leading in professional jargon.
5. Tip:
The next time an inner voice tells you, "You can't do that!" let that inner voice run at double speed. The voice immediately loses its effect. You might even have to laugh. Then change the content of the voice. Say something to yourself that strengthens and supports you, such as "I can do this!" or "I will enjoy it!" You can enhance the effect by imagining the positive inner voice louder, stronger, or as the voice of a famous person. As a shy young man, I often imagined Tina Turner's voice singing to me in flirtatious situations: "You are simply the Best" - with surprisingly positive results.
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