Using metaprograms to manage people. Metaprograms in the process of communication
Metaprograms are certain "patterns" (unconscious automatisms) of human thinking. That is, a kind of “rails” along which the mind moves and, as a result, any communication, search for solutions, reflection and even enjoyment.
There are more than 51 meta-programs in NLP, and you will begin to study some of them already in the course of NLP practitioners.
But why do we need to know metaprograms and how do people think in general? What opportunities does this open up for us?
In short, it is a) freedom and b) control.
Freedom from our own "rails" that limit our thinking, and which we do not see until we know about what other "rails" are?
And of course, if someone has a habit to which he has become attached, it is quite easy to control him. In order to help him, motivate and direct, or vice versa, make this person do what you need, considering it your own desire - this is your personal choice. Metaprograms are just a tool.
Let's get acquainted with some of the most interesting meta-programs.
Polar transponders
Surely you have met people who are always arguing with you. Even when they agree, they begin with the words "No, of course ...".
They just don't have the guts to say otherwise, because that's how their brains are wired. Or rather, the "operating system" of their brain. Despite their habit of arguing, they are quite easy to control because of this very habit. Just start telling them the opposite of what you want them to do and stop when they say what you want ;)
If you want to tease such a person in public, then at the moment when he once again begins his answer with the phrase "No, but ..." just tell him that he always begins with a denial. What do you think he will do right away? Yes, he will begin to deny it! The laughter of the audience will sound as many times as he tries to deny that he denies everything)))
Among the polar defendants there are more flexible ones. Their favorite speech pattern is "Yes, but."
They seem to agree with you, but in reality it is only an appearance. You can circle them around your finger in the same way as the first ones, by starting to prove to them the opposite of your goal, though you won’t be able to play them anymore. Apparently, they have already passed this joke in their lives;)
Processors and results
Quite a lot has already been written about these comrades, since the metaprograms “process” and “result” very much determine both motivation and, in general, the fate of a person.
Result workers make excellent leaders due to their ability to plan and control in a results format. They don't care how, they are goal oriented and will be quite flexible and resourceful in their choice of ways.
But processors really know how to enjoy life. Unlike the results, they do not put "flags" and "pluses" in their lists of achievements. They don’t understand at all how it is possible to motivate with a “plus” - the intensity of experiences, the range of sensations are important to them, to be in the flow and allow the amazing to happen ...
True, they don’t know what kind of amazing thing will happen)) so in business they need to be controlled and directed.
Naturally, each of these meta-programs has its own system of motivation - the first need results, the second - what the path to the result will be like. ...however, what exactly the path will be to is no longer important to them))
Global and detailed
There are people who love details, nuances, details exactly to the smallest detail.
I hate them!!!))) They will drown you in these damn details and you will never see the whole picture! Normal people think globally, perceive the world as a whole ... and they don’t care that someone starts to fall asleep at this moment))
In general, as you correctly understood, global ones find a common language with detailed ones with great difficulty. And as you might guess, there is a professional inclination here, and features of motivation, and a way to find an approach to a person.
Sorting Gate
And finally, for today, let me show you another type of metaprogram. Let's do an experiment.
Try to remember some bright but not regular event in your life, like a friend's wedding. What is the first question you ask yourself in order to get this memory out of the bins of your memory?
Where was it?
Who was there?
What were you doing there?
When it was?
What did you give the newlyweds?
What ended?
Or maybe you are listing the chain of events to arrive at this in sequence?
The "sort gate" is a kind of "grid" according to which we structure the contents of our memory and operate on them. There are seven types of “coordinates” in total, and some of each person are leading, and 3-4 maximum are close. Thinking in other coordinates is extremely unusual, and it is difficult to find a common language with people living in them. These "grids" are:
Place
People
Actions
Time
Things (objects)
Results (meanings)
Procedures
Can you change your metaprograms?
Above, I have listed only some of the Meta-Programs, but this is enough to start noticing how different people are from each other. …Although, it will be interesting for someone to see who you have something in common with ;)))
The question arises. If metaprograms limit our thinking so much (or rather, if we have a lot of new opportunities to think differently)))) then how can we master other metaprograms? And is there a chance to completely change one's character, or will the existing metaprogram profile determine a person's nature all his life?
The good news is that we can develop habits of thinking in other Meta-Programs that we didn't have before. This is the same skill as the ability to count, write and speak in another language. He is training.
The bad news (although, I'm sure, employees of the operational services do not think so))) is that the basic meta-programs that have developed in a person from birth and have become what we call his "character" will always be closer to him. And in a normal situation (when a person does not need to look for non-standard solutions or adapt to someone's style of thinking), he will think in his usual way.
Solution for James Bond
The difference in metaprograms, by the way, is the reason why we like to consult or resort to the help of coaches when we cannot find a solution ourselves. If some decision is in the “blind spot” zone, then the reason is not necessarily “fear to admit it” or some other diagnosis - it may simply be a limitation of metaprograms, which is solved by another person’s alternative “point of view”. The more unlike you, the better.
Well, if you don’t want to ask for advice all the time, but on the contrary, you prefer to sell your advice for money))) ... Well, or you just want to develop the flexibility of your thinking, learn to speak with each person in the language of “his brain”, causing him to feel that you understand him like no one else (which is true), then develop new meta-programs. You can do this in NLP courses.
P.S. The NLP Practitioner Course for Leaders by Tatyana Muzhitskaya starts this Saturday - November 15th. There are more than 80 people in the group, !
21.11.2013(Using NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) technologies)
Introduction.
Probably, there is no need to reiterate how important the right selection of personnel is for the effective operation of the company. Not without reason, when a company is assessed, the cost of personnel ranges from 20% (in the production sector) to 99% (in the service sector) of the company's value.
It often takes years to create an efficient, well-coordinated team of employees. Nevertheless, leading HR managers manage to form a successfully working team quickly enough. Perhaps the secret of their success lies in the great attention they pay to the selection of each new employee. And here the key element is the technology on which they rely when deciding whether to hire a particular person for a job.
This article will describe one of the most effective toolkits for personnel assessment offered by NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming - the most successful and dynamically developing direction in psychology over the past 20 years). The proposed method is based on the compilation and analysis of a metaprogram portrait of a person and makes it possible to identify the most important characteristics of a person's thinking style, which provides information on how successfully a person will cope with a particular type of activity.
In NLP, metaprograms are understood as the processes of thinking habitual for a person, which he uses to perceive incoming information, internally process it and make a decision. Depending on which ways of thinking are preferred for a person, conclusions are drawn about how successfully he will cope with a particular activity.
The first part of this article is devoted to the description of metaprograms, on the basis of which a metaprogram portrait of a person is compiled.
In the second part of the article, examples are given of how optimal metaprogram portraits can be compiled for various positions and this information can be used to analyze how much a person’s thinking style corresponds to the position for which he is applying.
The third part of the article describes methods that allow you to make metaprogram portraits of various people based on written testing or during an interview.
The summary summarizes all the new information and gives an idea of how the model used in this article can be enriched with finer details.
Part I. Description of metaprograms.
Metaprograms describe the habitual style of thinking of a person - how he perceives and processes information. We are surrounded by a huge amount of details that we could pay attention to, but in the process of perception, most of them are eliminated. The meta-programs preferred by a person just determine what information will be admitted to consciousness in the first place and how it will be processed.
To perform a certain type of task, a certain type of thinking, a certain way of perceiving the world around us, a certain style of organizing and processing information may be more suitable. A person usually copes more successfully with one type of task and less successfully with some other issues. The success and efficiency of work largely depend on what style of thinking (what set of metaprograms) is characteristic of a person.
One cannot say that one of the meta-programs is in itself “better” or “worse” than another. It all depends on the context and on the goal you are aiming for (want to hire an accountant or a marketer or someone else). Therefore, already at the stage of acquaintance with metaprograms, one can begin to outline for oneself those tasks and those questions for the solution of which the considered metaprogram is well suited.
Metaprograms are usually considered in pairs, which are two opposite approaches to solving a particular problem. For example, in a pair of Internal reference - External reference in a person, as a rule, one of these two metaprograms predominates (predominance in the sense that he uses one of them more often, preferring it to another, alternative metaprogram).
Sometimes it can be difficult to figure out which meta-program in a pair is more preferable. Nevertheless, a detailed analysis can always reveal an advantage, albeit insignificant, in one direction or another. In such cases, one can designate this metaprogram as weakly expressed, in contrast to those cases when it is pronounced.
This meta-program describes the criteria people rely on when comparing different options for action and when deciding what to do. People with an internal reference will refer to their own criteria and beliefs. They collect information from the outside world, evaluate it, but insist on an independent decision based on their own criteria. Such people are difficult to manage, often perceive instructions or orders only as additional information. They don't need outside control. A person with a strong internal reference will resist any other decision, even if the decision is in his favor.
People with an external reference will turn to other people to find out what norms and criteria to rely on. They often make decisions only when someone else confirms their correctness. They constantly need advice from other people, otherwise they are never sure that they are doing the right thing. It looks like they have a hard time making decisions. People with an external reference need to be directed and gratefully pass on the responsibility for making decisions to other people. This meta-program can be defined by asking the question, "How do you know if you've done a job well or poorly?" A person with an internal reference will answer that he himself decided so. A person with an external reference may answer: "The authorities praise (scold)", referring to the opinions of other people.
Approach - Evasion.
This metaprogram explains how people motivate themselves to perform certain actions, i.e. how they force themselves to do what they don't want to do. People with the Approach Meta-Program focus on their goals. They care about what they can win, acquire, achieve. They imagine a picture of future success, and this is the best motivation for them to act.
People with the Evasion Meta-Program easily recognize problems and know what to avoid. They, first of all, pay attention to what they do not like. Often they imagine how bad it will be for them if they do not do a certain job, and this is their motivation for action.
You can motivate with the help of a "stick" or "carrot". For approach people, the best motivation is knowing the goal and the reward. People with the Evasion Meta-Program are motivated by the understanding of what problems and punishments can be avoided if they take certain actions. Depending on this metaprogram, a person may be better motivated either when he is offered a reward or when he is threatened with punishment.
This meta-program can be identified by asking the question: "Why do you want to change jobs?" A person with the Evasion metaprogram will rather say that he is tired, that the work is uninteresting and unpromising, that there are difficulties and problems, so he wants to "leave the old job." A person with the Approach metaprogram, first of all, will say that his new job seems promising and interesting to him, that he hopes for success and a good career, so he decided to "come to a new job." In one case, a person talks more about what he wants, achieves, receives. In another case, he describes those situations and problems that he would like to avoid.
People of the "approach" type are better at doing things where the ability to relentlessly strive for a specific goal is needed. Evasive people are excellent at spotting errors, such as when checking reports.
Active - Expectant.
This Meta-Program describes a person's work style. The active person himself takes the initiative and quickly starts the business, moving it forward. He doesn't wait for other people to take action. It is not necessary that this person quickly performs the work. He is proactive in the sense that he does not need external influence to start the movement, he can start the movement himself. The response style is active (often without waiting for a question to arise, already looking for an answer to a possible situation).
The expectant person waits for others to act, or waits for an opportunity to start. He can spend a lot of time in indecision or take no action at all, motivated by external influences. It is rather a reaction to what is happening than an initiative. This does not mean that he works slowly, just to start moving, he needs an influence from the outside, some kind of impulse that will push him to start doing work. The response style is expectant (begins to look for an answer only when a problem situation has already arisen).
General - Private.
This metaprogram describes how much information a person prefers to work with. "General" people prefer to work with large chunks of information. They think globally and like to generalize. They try to see everything as a whole, but for a short moment they can turn to details. May skip steps in a sequence, making it difficult to play. They will see the sequence as a whole, as one piece, and not as a series of consecutive steps. The “general” person misses out on a lot of information. “They don’t see the trees behind the forest.”
A "private" person prefers small pieces of information from which he can build large pieces. Pays more attention to details. Prefers sequences, step by step. Likes to give accurate descriptions. Has a penchant for detail. "He can't see the forest for the trees."
"General" people are good at developing strategic plans. "Private" people successfully cope with tasks that require attention to detail and consist of a small number of sequential steps.
Similarity - Similarity with difference - Difference.This meta-program describes what people pay more attention to: the search for similarities or differences. Similarity-oriented people are interested in how this fits in with their previous experience. They are conservative. They buy the same things (those that they bought before). In a conversation, they are looking, first of all, for something with which they can agree. They will often be content with the same job for many years, and they will do well in those tasks that are essentially similar to each other. From several options for action, they choose the one that they have already tested, with which they are already familiar.
People of "difference" notice and are interested in the new, different. In a conversation, they look for something with which they do not agree, often argue. Strive for change. They change jobs often. They are attracted to innovation. Looking for new behaviors. They don't like to repeat themselves.
People with the Similarity with Difference metaprogram pay attention equally to the similarities with what they have done before and to the differences. In a conversation, they find both statements with which they agree, and those with which they are ready to argue. Focused on smooth development. They prefer "the same as before, but improved." Looking for ways to improve on old ways of working without abandoning them entirely.
This metaprogram describes what a person's attention is focused on - events in the past, present or future.
A person with the Future metaprogram is primarily focused on the future - on what can happen. Usually says in the future tense, but not necessarily. He can talk about his plans - about how and what will happen tomorrow, in a year, in a month. He is more interested in what will happen after a while, sometimes even to the detriment of the present. To the question: "Tell us about your company?" - will describe mainly development plans, future prospects. Such people are good at planning and development tasks.
A person with the present metaprogram is primarily focused on what is happening now. Good idea of the current situation. Will talk about the current state of affairs at the enterprise.
A person with the Past metaprogram is primarily focused on the past - on what happened before. Usually speaks in the past tense, but not necessarily. Will talk about what happened to the company in the past. Inclined to analyze past events. These people are excellent analysts.
This is just a brief overview of some of the most important Meta-Programs. In specialized literature (for example, D. O'Connor and D. Seymour "Introduction to NLP") you can find a wider list of meta-programs and a more detailed description of them. But the above six meta-programs are already enough to make a decision on many issues.
It should be immediately noted that only a few people exhibit the described patterns of behavior in pronounced, extreme forms. Most people's behavior is a mixture of the two extremes described in the metaprograms. For example, a person may be motivated partly by a desire to avoid problems and partly by a desire to achieve a goal. Or in one proportion or another, his attention can be focused both on the past and on the present, the future. But, nevertheless, any pattern of behavior is more pronounced than another. This leads to the fact that a person, first of all, shows a certain style of perception of the world.
It is also necessary to add that, depending on the context, a person's characteristic set of metaprograms may change. The General-Particular and Past-Present-Future Meta-Programs are usually the same for all contexts, while the other four Meta-Programs can vary greatly depending on the situation. So, for example, a person who has an internal reference at work and independently makes all economic decisions may have an external reference at home and follow the recommendations given by his wife in everything. A person who is quite conservative in the selection of clothes, who comes to work in the same suit that is familiar to him, in a situation where the decision is made to purchase new equipment, may turn out to be a person of difference and insist on looking for something completely new and modern.
Therefore, when collecting information about a person, one should ask the most typical contexts that he will encounter during his future activities in the workplace in order to determine what thought patterns will appear in these situations.
A metaprogram portrait will be a set of pronounced metaprograms characteristic of a person, for example: internal reference, approximation, active, general, difference, future . If some metaprogram is not strongly expressed, then it can be excluded from the list, and the metaprogram portrait will consist of a smaller number of patterns. Knowing the metaprogram portrait, we can conclude how well this person is suitable for engaging in a particular activity, how successfully he will cope with one or another type of task.
Part II. Metaprogram portrait analysis.
Compilation of metaprogram portraits for various positions.
In this part, we will consider such an area of use of metaprograms as the analysis of an applicant for a particular position when hiring a new employee.If it is clear enough what activity he will be engaged in, and a metaprogram portrait is drawn up that is most suitable for the vacant position, then it remains to choose from all applicants the one whose thinking style is closest to the desired one.
The question of how to quickly and accurately build a metaprogram portrait of a person is discussed in more detail in Part III. Examples of compiling metaprogram portraits for various positions and activities will also be given here.
In each case, one should take into account all the specifics and features of the activities that a person holding a certain position will be engaged in. At the same time, different portraits can be drawn up for the same position in different companies. Below are descriptions of the most typical metaprogram portraits for positions: company director (manager), secretary, marketer. A very brief and compact description of the criteria on the basis of which this or that metaprogram was chosen is also given.
Director of the company (manager).
1. internal reference. The director of the firm should make most of all important decisions concerning the activities of the firm. It is more preferable if he makes decisions himself, based on his own opinion, and not on the opinions of other people.
2. Active. It is desirable that the leader be active, energetic, proactive. So that he does not wait for any external events or other people to push him to take action, but he himself takes the initiative.
3. Approximation. It is more preferable for the director of the firm to carry out any changes or reforms in the company to a greater extent to expand the capabilities of the firm, achieve more successful functioning, generate additional profits, and not focus on combating the shortcomings of the firm.
4. Nast. and Bud. The leader must have a good idea of the current state of affairs in the company and clearly see the prospect of the company's development in the future. The leader must be able to clearly plan for some time ahead, be able to predict how external factors may change in the future. To do this, it is necessary that the director of the company keep the focus of his attention on the events of the present and the future.
5. General. It is important enough that the director can imagine the overall picture of the company's activities, so that he can see the whole overall effect of any change, and not just a local effect.
6. Difference. It is desirable that the manager organizes the activities of the company not in a standard, not conservative way, but using the latest methods and technologies. So that when making any decision, he no longer relied on how he solved this problem last time, but looked for some new options that are more suitable for the current situation.
Secretary.
1. external reference. It is necessary that the secretary be guided by the opinion, norms and criteria of the management, which will allow him in his work to better meet the intentions and goals that the manager wants to realize. If the secretary starts to act based more on his own opinion about how something should be done, and not on the opinion of his management, then this may lead to a mismatch with the results that management wanted to get.
2. Active. One of the qualities of a good secretary is that he does not wait for the manager to remind him that he needs to do some business, but actively and quickly completes most tasks. It is desirable that the secretary does not wait until other people begin to act (someone will call, bring the necessary papers), but quickly and proactively solve the tasks facing him.
3. Private. The secretary must perform a large number of small specific cases that require attention to detail. Therefore, it is desirable that the secretary prefer small pieces of information and would be focused on clarifying and concretizing details.
4. similarity. Secretaries are usually required to perform certain types of tasks that are repeated from day to day. A person with a similarity metaprogram is, firstly, more inclined to follow the instructions of the manual exactly, without adding a lot of new things from himself. Secondly, he follows already well-established patterns of work, and the results of his activities are predictable, while the man of differences is able to draw up in a new way each next report.
5. Future. Most often, the secretary faces tasks that require him to pay attention to future events. It is desirable that the secretary clearly and clearly imagines all the planned affairs for some time in advance. Although it is useful for a good secretary to have a wide range of attention, including the past, the present, and the future. This will allow him to keep the focus of attention on all the people and all the cases that he encountered, and at the same time control all current tasks and contacts and at the same time keep in mind most of the planned future cases.6. Approach - Evasion. This meta-program is not particularly important in the context of secretarial work. Knowing it can be used when developing an incentive system for the secretary (either reward for the successful completion of all cases, or fine for late completion of any work).
Marketer.
1. Difference. The situation on the market is changing very quickly, especially when it comes to advertising, marketing, promotion of goods on the market. Those techniques and methods of work that were used a month ago may already be ineffective today. Therefore, for a specialist promoting a product to the market, it is especially important to be able to see and notice new opportunities that the market provides. It is important to focus on finding new methods of working with customers. The ability to notice in everything new the potential for use.
2. Future. Focusing on the future, on possible events that may occur, is very important so that the specialist can predict the development of the market situation, so that he is always half a step ahead.
3. Active. Waiting for some external circumstance or people to push you to take action in an area like getting a product to market almost always means being late and misses out on many development opportunities that could have been created by proactive action. It is important not to wait for other people to take action, but to quickly move the matter forward by vigorous work.
4. external reference. The result of promoting a product to the market is how buyers react to the actions of the manager. And it is important enough that the marketer, when making a decision, focuses primarily on the opinion of potential partners and buyers. So that he does not take the actions that he considers correct, but those that buyers expect from him.
5. Approximation. Marketing is a continuously evolving activity. For development, for new market research, for testing new methods of working with buyers, the “carrot” motivation is more effective when a marketer conducts a company, hoping to improve the company’s performance, and not because of the fear of losing some of the buyers.
6. General. For strategic planning, for creating a general picture of the development of the project, a person with a general meta-program is well suited. Market research provides many detailed descriptions of the various nuances involved in promoting a product. To make the right decisions, it is important to be able to see something in common in this intricacies of various information, and not get bogged down in details.
As already mentioned, for each specific case, it is necessary to draw up its own separate metaprogram portrait. The examples given above allow you to see how, knowing the requirements for a particular position, you can draw up an optimal metaprogram portrait for a particular activity.
After collecting information about the optimal metaprogram portrait for a vacant position, you can conduct interviews and test applicants, choosing among them those who are closest in their style of thinking to the required parameters.
Achieving 100% matching of the applicant's style of thinking with the desired one in all respects is not at all necessary. It is often enough to match 3-4 key meta-programs for this position. At the same time, a discrepancy in one, but the most important metaprogram in this context, can lead to the fact that a person will be unable to perform the work entrusted to him.
Even if the thinking style of the applicant for the position turns out to be 100% the same as the desired one, other important factors such as education, work experience, competence, marital status can have a strong influence on the success of work ... Therefore, the technology of metaprogram portraits should be accompanied by others, well proven methods of recruitment. This will allow you to evaluate the candidate for the position more comprehensively, seeing his strengths and weaknesses from different points of view.
An example of using knowledge of a metaprogram portrait when making a hiring decision.
To help the HR manager, you can offer the following table. It contains data on the leading metaprograms of a person, on the degree of their severity, and this example also provides information on the most optimal metaprogram portrait for a vacant position.
|
FULL NAME. Ivanov Ivan Ivanovich |
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|
Metaprogram |
3 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
Metaprogram |
|
|
internal reference |
External reference |
|||||||
|
Approximation |
Evasion |
|||||||
|
Active |
Expectant |
|||||||
|
General |
Private |
|||||||
|
similarity |
Difference |
|||||||
|
Past |
||||||||
|
The present |
||||||||
|
Future |
||||||||
*Here 1 - weakly expressed, 2 - moderately expressed, 3 - strongly expressed.
*+ indicates the leading metaprograms and their degree of expression.
In this example, we have a person - Ivanov I.I. - with a pronounced internal reference, the metaprogram Future and Particular. With moderately expressed metaprograms Active and Evasion. And weakly expressed metaprograms Present and Difference (weakly expressed difference or similarity figured in the description of metaprograms as similarity with difference).
If we now superimpose on the metaprogram portrait of this person the most optimal metaprogram portrait of the position for which he is applying, then you can get a clear picture of how his style of thinking is suitable for performing the job for which he is applying. In the above example, the optimal metaprogram portrait of the position is indicated in the form of shaded squares.
In this example, you can see that the applicant is optimally suited for almost all metaprograms, except for Evasion and Difference. Strongly pronounced meta-programs Evasion and Difference were required, but the applicant has a moderately pronounced meta-program Evasion and Similarity to Difference. It remains to be decided how important, in the context of the job that the applicant will perform, such a strict correspondence to these meta-programs.
If it turns out that a pronounced Distinction is a key characteristic of thinking necessary for a person who will occupy this post, then it will be regrettable to say goodbye to the applicant, despite the fact that in other respects he is very well suited (although it is possible to offer such a creative solution on how to find a partner with a pronounced metaprogram Difference, who can complement him according to this weak characteristic of thinking).
If it turns out that the meta-programs for which the applicant is not suitable are not the most important, then you can decide to hire him (provided that, according to such other characteristics as education, work experience, etc., he is also suitable ).
Part III. Technology for compiling metaprogram portraits.
Unfortunately, it is rather difficult to come up with a test (computer or text) that would allow one to accurately determine the leading metaprograms in a person, since yes/no answers do not provide complete information.
This article suggests two ways to collect information.
First way. Compile a written questionnaire in which it is necessary to give detailed, detailed answers (mini-essays). And then, analyzing these mini-compositions, one can draw conclusions about the leading meta-programs. The main advantage of this method is that it allows you to cover a sufficiently large number of respondents in a short period of time. The main disadvantage of this method is that it takes a lot of time to write mini-essays, which often do not contain sufficient information for conclusions, and in this case an additional survey has to be conducted.
The second way. Personal interview. In the dialogue mode, asking questions and receiving answers, you can quickly enough (in 10-15 minutes of conversation) find out all the necessary information and draw up a metaprogram portrait. This way of working requires some experience for the HR manager to identify metaprograms in the speech of the interlocutor, but this method allows you to quickly ask additional questions, finding out the missing data and paying attention to the most important metaprograms in each context.
Further in this chapter, a series of questions will be proposed, the answers to which provide information about a particular Meta-Program. These questions can be used both in the interview and in the preparation of a written questionnaire.
The purpose here is not to present a detailed list of questions that guarantee the definition of metaprograms, since it is impossible to foresee in advance in what direction a conversation with a person may flow. The purpose of these examples is to give an understanding of how metaprograms can be identified, so that the reader, after reading 2–3 examples, can, by analogy, independently supplement them with his own options.
Internal reference - External reference.“How will you know if you have done a job well or badly?” A person with an internal reference will answer that he himself decided so. A person with an external reference can answer: "The authorities praise (scold)", referring to the opinions of other people.
· “How would you like to organize your relationship with the client (boss)?” A person with an external reference will answer that he would like to receive feedback from the client (boss) quite often that he is doing everything right. (If you ask the question here: “Why do you need feedback?” - the answer: “So that it doesn’t happen that I did something, but the client didn’t like it,” will mean evasion. Answer: "To do the best job for the client that he wanted" - will mean approximation). A person with an internal reference will answer that he would like to be not strongly attached to the opinion of the client (bosses) and would like to have a certain freedom.
Approach - Evasion.You can ask the question: “What did you most dislike (dislike) doing at work (during training)?” When you have found out 2 - 3 contexts when a person did not want to do something, but then did it, you can ask the following question: “What prompted you to do this work? Why did you do it anyway?" A person with the Approach metaprogram will respond that he imagined how great it would be when he completed this task, or that he saw some benefit in what he was doing and was striving to get it, describing the good that he received. as a result of the work. The evasive person will answer that he understood that he would be punished (fined) if he did not do the work, describing what problems he managed to avoid due to the work done.
· This meta-program can also be defined by asking the question: "Why do you want to change jobs?". An analysis of the answers to this question is analyzed in the description of this metaprogram.
Active - Expectant.· To the question: “What will mainly determine how successfully you will cope with the work?” - an active person, first of all, will name himself and, perhaps, 2 - 3 more external factors. The expectant one will be more attentive and name 7 - 8 significant external factors that can affect the successful completion of the work, and even describe the conditions, waiting for which you can be sure that everything will go well.
To the question: “What did you do best at your job?” - the expectant person will most likely answer that he did an excellent job with the tasks that he was assigned, or was able to offer some good ideas (but did not push them forward on his own). The active one will tell you that he was able to implement and complete several projects in the shortest possible time.
General - Private.· Here it is important to listen to a person's speech, noticing how often he uses specifics and details in his speech. How many small details and descriptions appear in his speech? Or does he prefer general answers, using only large chunks of information?
· The story of a person with the “general” metaprogram about what he did in the past will be quite short, containing only the most significant events. A person with a private will describe even insignificant stages in his life for a long time.
· To the question: “What was your activity at the previous place of work?” - you can get either a detailed and detailed story, or a brief description of the most important elements of what the person was doing.
Similarity - Similarity with difference - Difference.
You can find out how often a person changed jobs (including the type of activity within the same job). A frequent change will speak of differences, a rare one will speak of similarities. The use of different methods to solve the same problem is more likely to indicate a person of difference, while adherence to one, but reliably tested way of solving a problem, will identify a person of similarity.
To the question: “Why did you choose our work?” - a person of similarity will answer that it is quite similar to what he did before; a person of distinctions will talk about what is new in this work that interested him.
Past present Future.The main recommendation is to notice what a person most often refers to in a speech: events of the past, present or future. At the same time, questions should be without reference to time, i.e. leave the person the opportunity to decide for himself at what time to tell everything.
To the question: “How are you? What's good? - a person who keeps the past in focus will talk about what happened to him in the past. A person oriented to the present - about what he is doing now. A person focused on the future - about what he plans to do in the near future.
A more detailed and detailed understanding of how it is possible to find out the leading metaprograms of a person in the course of an ordinary conversation is given in the special literature, which analyzes a large number of examples and analogies that make it possible to determine the style of a person’s thinking.
Conclusion.
NLP offers such an effective and reliable tool as the compilation of metaprogram portraits to identify a person's preferred style of thinking. Knowing how a person thinks, and understanding what style of thinking is best suited to perform a particular activity, allows you to assess how successfully a person will cope with the job for which he claims. Given this information, many mistakes can be avoided already at the interview stage and the successful development of the organization can be ensured by selecting employees with the most appropriate sets of meta-programs.
This article provides a brief description of metaprograms, examples of compiling metaprogram portraits for some positions and for various people. This gives the reader a complete set of tools for qualitative analysis of the organization's personnel and for making decisions when hiring a new employee.
In addition to such a context as recruitment, there are several other areas in which knowledge of metaprograms can be effectively used.
First, knowing the metaprogram portrait of your employee, you will be able to use his potential more optimally. By knowing the strengths and weaknesses of a person's thinking style, you will be able to set tasks for him that he can handle more successfully than anyone else. This will allow you to more meaningfully distribute responsibilities among your employees.
Secondly, knowing the metaprogram portraits of several employees, one can estimate in advance how successfully they will work together, in one team. This allows you to form effectively working groups, where each person enhances the potential of the team and successfully complements all other members of the group.
At the end of the article, I would like to emphasize that, although the compilation of metaprogram portraits is a very effective and powerful tool for analyzing personnel, it allows you to clearly and clearly consider only one facet of such a complex object of study as a person. Therefore, this technology should be considered only as a powerful and beautiful addition to the treasury of those tools that should be used when working with personnel.
The term "meta-program" is widely used in a narrow circle of NLP fans. Outside this circle, few people know about him. But in vain.
In fact, metaprograms are filters through which we sort and evaluate information coming from the outside world. For example, think of a glass filled with water. Now imagine that you drank half of the water. Will the glass be half full or half empty? For both, of course, the only question is how to look at it. Some people in any situation pay attention to its positive side, while others see the negative. Both points of view are correct, and each person prefers one or the other way of looking at things.
Metaprograms are formed throughout life, are used unconsciously, and it is almost impossible to “simulate” them.
With special training, you can learn to notice other people's Meta Programs both in their language and in their behavior. With this information, you will be able to understand how to convey information to your interlocutor so that it is perceived by him in the best way and motivates him to make the decisions you need.
For example, your life experience probably tells you that in dealing with some people it is better to show the benefits that they will receive. Others are better served by a detailed description of the troubles they will face if they do not pay attention to what you say. Someone is stimulated by the assessment of people who are significant to him, and someone for himself is the highest authority.
These are all metaprograms, and their total number is more than fifty. But we will not overload the brain and consider the most important of them:
1. The content of motivation (achievement - avoidance)
2. Level of activity (initiative - passive)
3. Dominant reference (internal - external)
4. Scheme of work (process - opportunities - result)
5. Scale of perception (global - specific)
7. Behavior in a group (completing a task - saving a team)
8.Focus of comparison (similarity - difference)
Each person, as a rule, is oriented either towards achieving goals or avoiding problems.
Achievement people keep their focus on the goal. They know what they want and act to get it. Avoidance people are active in order to avoid problems and punishment. Their choice is between the worst and the least worst. Not to get better, but not to get worse.
If the former can work effectively in positions that require decision making, then the second type of people is more suitable for positions related to identifying various problems and shortcomings, for example, in audit and quality control departments. Avoidance people tend to double-check information and work results. As a rule, they experience significant difficulties in communication.
This meta-program can be defined by the questions: “What is important to you?”, “Why is this important to you?”.
For example, your friend is going to buy a car. Ask him why he needs a car? He can tell you, for example: “I can travel with my family, and in general - the car gives freedom of movement” (a person is achievement-oriented), or he can say “I'm tired of riding the subway, especially during rush hour when you have legs. And then, this way I will remove the problem with trips to the country, especially when it is necessary to transport the crop ”(a person is focused on avoiding discomfort).
“Achievement” people are characterized by a positive speech structure: “I plan to achieve”, “I want to receive”, “I want to be ...”.
"Avoidant" people predominantly use a negative structure of statements: "I don't want this", "I can't do this...".
How can knowledge of this metaprogram be used in communication with people?
A person of "achievement" will perform better if you work with his plans and goals, help overcome obstacles, use incentives rather than threats. On the other hand, help the "avoidant" person define their goals so they know exactly what they want and don't want. Show him that you understand him and can help.
If you are a manager, then you should know the motivation of your employees in order to influence them effectively. It is better for some employees to say: “Work hard - and you will receive a bonus”, “In order to further increase the level of prosperity, you need ...”, “If you want to get a good position, it is useful for you ...”. For others, the words will be more effective: “Understand, if you don’t fulfill your duties, you will lose your bonus!”, “If you don’t want to regret later on ..., then you need to ...”, “In order for profit not to fall, I suggest ... "," In order not to become outsiders, you need to ... "," Do not want to be fined, then ... ".
To manipulate the “avoidant” boss, the tactic of “warming up” problems works best. For example, you go to your boss's office and report that there is a problem that can lead to such and such negative consequences. When your boss is thinking, tell him "I propose to solve it in this way ..." (of course, the way to solve the problem is entirely in your area of \u200b\u200binterest). After such a presentation, there is almost a 100% chance that the boss will give the go-ahead to your proposals, and will also be grateful for your concern for the organization.
Activity level (initiative - passive)
Some people prefer to be proactive, others passive. When the phone stops ringing, passive people rest. They think first and then act. Initiative people use the free time that has appeared to improve the system. As a rule, they first begin to act, and think out the details already in the process of completing the task. If initiative people act on their own, then passive people need a push, they are waiting for a command.
Revealing the metaprogram.
Ask a question, for example: “What problems did you solve at your previous job?”. An enterprising person will answer something like this: “I worked with clients, participated in negotiations, dealt with contracts, followed the assortment of goods.” The passive one will say: “You know, my previous job was to regularly assess the situation in the market, and take into account changes in relations with clients, especially with those with whom we have long-term contacts, and therefore I had to monitor all emerging factors ...”.
Statistics show that the shorter the phrase, the more active the person. A significant number of subordinate clauses may indicate a passive warehouse of character. An enterprising person asserts more often than asks questions. At the same time, he uses active verbs: “I know”, “I do”, “I want”, etc. Passive people ask more than they say. At the same time, they are engaged in a self-eliminating position: “It would be nice to do this”, “We need to think everything over”, “Usually this is done”.
What gives us the knowledge of these differences?
It is important for passive people to give time to think about the situation, the question. Therefore, in communicating with them, such sentences are effective: “Let's wait and analyze everything”; "You can think about something..."; “When would it be more convenient for you to meet - at dinner or in the evening?”, “Look what you can do here,” etc. Passive people often believe (and for good reason) that those around them are constantly manipulating them, so give such people at least the illusion of choice.
Such conventions can be omitted in dealing with enterprising people. Build your phrases in directive form: "Do it", "Solve this question yourself."
Dominant reference (internal - external)
This metaprogram shows where a person has a point of responsibility for making a decision. How a person takes into account his opinion and how he takes into account the opinions of others, as well as to what extent statistical data, known facts, and public opinion are important to him.
People with an internal reference instinctively know for themselves whether they have done a good or bad job. They themselves decide in what situation how to act. These people usually say: “In my opinion…”, “I have decided what will be…”, “I think it is more expedient…”, “I feel that it is necessary…”, “I see that you…”, etc.
A person with an external reference needs to get an answer to this question from other people, especially from those whom he trusts. Such people tend to work under someone else's guidance, it is important for them to receive "feedback" and approval. The indicated category of people can be identified by the words: “According to Ivanov, it is necessary to do this ...”, “Vanya said that I should ...”, “The neighbor advised, and I decided ...”, “Petrov said that it would be better ...”, etc. d. These people often cannot independently, without discussion, make decisions on important issues. At the same time, they are less conflicted, ready to listen and take into account someone else's point of view.
Revealing the metaprogram.
For example, your friend decided to change jobs. Ask him: "When you made this decision, what influenced your choice?". Some will answer that “My wife said that if I don’t start working, I will lose my qualifications,” or they will refer to the circumstances: “The crisis in the country prompted me to look for a job.” Others will answer: “I thought about the situation, took into account all the circumstances and decided to look for a new job.”
Other questions for determining the type of reference:
How do you know if your work is good or bad?
How do you decide how best to do this job?
How do you decide who to vote for in an election?
Do you know computers well? Why do you think so?
Do you consider your career to be successful? Why do you think so?
Do you easily adapt to other people? Why do you think so?
Using the metaprogram.
People with an internal reference are difficult to manage. Show such a person that you respect his point of view, that you are not forcing or forcing, that he himself can make a decision. If you need to resolve the issue with such a person, then it is better to address him with the words: “Do you think it is better ...”, “How do you think it would be worth ...”, “Do you feel more comfortable ...?”.
Externally referenced people need to be led and controlled. They need norms to be set from outside, otherwise they are never sure they are doing the right thing. Praise such people often, give them as much feedback as possible. If you need to resolve the issue with such a person, then you need to make a reference to a person who is an authority for your interlocutor: “The chief engineer said what is needed”, “Sidorov claims that it will be better ...”, etc.
Scheme of work (process - opportunities - result)
Process-oriented people prefer to follow the developed instructions in everything, they maintain the system's performance based on the specified parameters and regulations. People of the "process" tend to work with the absence of clear criteria for the result, it is not so important for them what goals they have, it is much more important what they will need to do.
Opportunity-oriented people like the variety of alternatives. They are well suited for brainstorming, idea generation, and absolutely do not tolerate severe restrictions.
For people of "result" everything has its measure and end point. These are very purposeful people. If they clearly see the goal, then they go to it, not paying attention to obstacles. Such people can quickly achieve the desired result, but can easily deviate from technology and prescribed procedures.
Revealing the metaprogram.
People of the "process" can be identified by the phrases: "I went to different stores, talked with administrators, negotiated with directors, demanded discounts from suppliers, etc." In their speech, there are many verbs of an imperfect form: I walked, organized, talked, motivated, wrote, called, etc.
People of the "result" often use value words (efficiency, perspective, understanding), as well as perfective verbs (did, agreed, concluded, achieved, received, wrung out). Example: “I found 14 promising retail outlets, managed to reach directors, concluded 12 profitable supply contracts, and achieved a 15% discount from the largest suppliers.”
To the question “Why did you decide to spend your vacation this way?”:
- the person of the "process" will answer you how he made the decision: "I went to the travel agency";
- a person of "opportunities" will tell about the reasons: "I was satisfied with the price", or "We had a great rest there last year";
- the person of the "result" will explain the intention of this step: "I plan to meet the right person there."
Another example is the question “Why did you choose this job?”. Process-oriented people will respond, “I saw the ad on the Internet, I sent in my resume. I got a call from the organization and was invited to have an interview.” The person of “opportunity” will answer in the key: “I am sure that this job will allow me to realize my potential, since this firm is a market leader.” The result person will say, “Within three years, I plan to take a leadership position in it and move on.”
Using the metaprogram.
“Process” people are unlikely to achieve a quick concrete result, but they work very well where technology must be followed, and there are no specific goals for the activity. Show respect for their knowledge and views, explain everything new to them in detail, trying to speak in a structured way. Use words and phrases like "it's proven", "exact", "this is the right way" in your speech.
People of “opportunities” need to be offered something new, not forced to follow any instructions rigidly, offer various opportunities and options for completing a particular task. When speaking, use words like "new", "choice", "different", "opportunities", "alternatives".
It is difficult for people with a “result” to start an activity until they receive answers to the questions: “Why and why do this?”, “What will be the result of my work?”, “How will my result be measured?”. It is comfortable for such people to work when there is a direct relationship between wages and the results of their work.
Scale of perception (global - specific)
People who are characterized by a "global" scale of thinking see the project as a whole. They can effectively assess the impact that an initiative will have on the company as a whole. At the same time, such people can make inaccuracies and miscalculations in small details. They are simply not interested in them. Concrete thinkers, on the other hand, focus on the details. They clearly delve into the small components of the project. But they experience difficulties in understanding the whole picture, because they cannot rise above the situation and assess it as a whole.
Revealing the metaprogram.
If you ask a “globally” thinking person a question about a movie they watched, you will get an answer along the lines of “a good comedy is more interesting than the previous one I watched.” A “concrete” person will be able to talk for hours and without stopping, talking about all the details of the plot. The speech of "concrete" people is more consistent, while "globally" thinking people freely jump from one topic to another.
Using the metaprogram.
To effectively communicate with people, you need to build your arguments in accordance with the level of their thinking.
Don't overwhelm a "globally" thinking boss or business partner with unnecessary details - they are interested in the very essence of your proposal. First of all, it is necessary to provide an overall picture, to make an overview. Don't start the conversation with details. You should be prepared for the fact that your interlocutor will often jump from thought to thought and react accordingly. Use words like "in general", "idea", "concept".
In turn, before communicating with a person who thinks “specifically”, first think over all the possible private questions that he may have, and argue in detail for each of your phrases. Don't make too many generalizations. Provide details. Use words like "exactly", "precisely", "specifically", "program", "plan", "first", "second", "consequences".
Attention focus (on oneself - on others)
This metaprogram is about the focus of attention. It is based on the question: whose interests - their own or those of others - are more priority for a person. Some people express their attention to the interlocutor with their posture, intonation of voice, and all facial expressions. In communication with others, detachment and coldness are felt, their attention is directed only to themselves. It is quite difficult to determine that you are being listened to at all.
Revealing the metaprogram.
A self-oriented person tends not to show emotions, is not very effective in interpersonal communication, and often just watches what is happening.
A person with the "surrounding" meta-program appears to be quite lively, able to be aware of the reactions and feelings of other people.
Using the metaprogram.
Do not insist on establishing trusting relationships with self-oriented people. Try to clearly express your thoughts, when talking with them, provide detailed information. Show such a person that you understand him and at the same time try not to show that you emotionally perceived his reaction to something.
When communicating with a person with the “surrounding” metaprogram, be expressive, mobile, sociable, show empathy and respect.
For what positions is it advisable to select employees who are oriented to the “surroundings”? It can be a doctor, trainer, teacher, social worker. In turn, the tax inspector, who listens sympathetically to debtors, is unlikely to be able to fulfill the tax collection plan.
Behavior in a group (completing a task - saving a team)
This metaprogram describes the direction of energy in the work of the team. Some people concentrate all their attention on the task, and achieve this regardless of the layouts in the group and personal conflicts. For others, the preservation of the group itself is much more important. Those who are task-driven perform better at jobs that do not involve interacting with a large number of people. For those who value team retention, jobs that require good relationships, such as public relations and customer service, are better suited.
Focus of comparison (similarity - difference)
People with the similarity metaprogram are more likely to seek common ground in a conflict. Those who seek "similarity" are people of constancy. They prefer the same colors in clothes, like to go to the same hotels, go to the same restaurants. These people rarely change something radically. But if you have to change something, then they will find an option that will be similar to the previous one. People focused on “similarity” do not like to change the circle of friends and acquaintances, managers do not like big changes, employees change jobs less often. For them, stability and fundamentality are important. They appreciate traditions, classics, proven quality, etc. Such people are stable, predictable, reliable.
People focused on “differences” are innovators who are always looking for change. For them, doing the same job for a long time is hard labor. They are constantly looking for new ways to solve problems, even if the existing ones work very well. Such people can regularly change the entire wardrobe, often change friends and partners. Managers of this category love development programs, restructuring, team changes, changes in organizational structure, etc. Employees often change jobs, leaving for a new field of activity. They are fond of new ideas and projects, but, having achieved success (or faced serious difficulties, the need to painstakingly implement the idea), they quickly lose interest in them. Such people initiate changes themselves, love to work in a changing environment, in a time pressure situation.
In turn, the "difference" metaprogram has its own internal classification: difference into "new" and difference into "no". People focused on the "new" are innovators and reformers, they are described above. Those who are “no” oriented like to argue with everyone, they do not agree with anyone.
Revealing the metaprogram.
You can recognize people focused on “similarity” by the phrases: “This is the same as ...”, “They are exactly the same ...”, “I don’t see a difference in ...”, “All the same meaning ...”. In turn, people focused on “difference” are identified by the phrases: “This is not at all…”, “I need everything differently…”, “Is there something new?”, “This is completely different”, etc. d.
You can push your interlocutor to self-disclosure with the following questions: “Compare your previous place of work with your current one”, “Compare Egypt and Turkey”, “Compare diving and parachuting”, etc. These questions have one common principle - they are aimed at comparison.
For example, ask the person to compare an omelet and a scrambled egg. He can answer the following: “What is there to compare? Both there and there the basis is the same - eggs, ”or he can answer differently:“ How can they be compared? Despite the fact that these dishes are made from eggs, they are completely different things.”
Important: Do not ask questions like: "What is the difference between ...", or "What is common between ...". Such forms of questions suggest an answer, and do not allow to draw an accurate conclusion about a person.
Using the metaprogram.
In order to motivate a person focused on "similarity", it is necessary to build your argument in such a way that your proposals only develop old traditions, slightly adapt them to changed realities, and do not change them radically. For those looking for "similarity" in a conversation, point out common points, show them that you have common goals with them, build on what they already know and can do.
To those looking for “differences,” demonstrate and emphasize change. When talking to them, use words like “new”, “one”, “different”, “unique”. At the same time, for people who are innovators, the argument that the existing system does not stand up to criticism and needs to be completely changed is better suited. Knowing that you are facing an argumentative person, you can easily manipulate him with phrases: “You will not agree with me now”, “You will now deny that ...”, “You don’t need to agree with me”, etc.
How best to start learning metaprograms
Mastering metaprograms, I made a number of important conclusions for myself.
First, it is very important not to label people. The manifestation of different metaprograms in a person may depend on the situation. For example, at work, he manifests some metaprograms, and at home with his family - completely different. Under the influence of stress, a “passive” person can become “active”, etc.
Second, ask the right questions. For example, to the closed question “Do you make decisions on your own?”, Of course, an affirmative answer will come. Who admits otherwise? For that, to learn to hear what a person was not going to tell about himself, ask open-ended questions. In this case, for example, it is more appropriate to ask: “When you make decisions on such and such an issue, what things do you take into account?”.
Thirdly, learn to listen and hear the answers, do not interpret them subjectively - through the prism of your own attitude towards a particular person.
Master the skill of reading your interlocutors gradually. To begin with, learn to identify one metaprogram in people, after a week, additionally begin to pay attention to the second. By increasing the depth of probing the interlocutors in this way, in a couple of months you will be able to form a metaprogram map of each person almost automatically.
Understanding the psychological characteristics of your interlocutors, you can build the tactics of your communication with them in an optimal way.
In addition, an extremely useful experience is the awareness of one's own metaprograms. Having mastered ways of thinking that are unusual for yourself, you will make a breakthrough in self-development, which means that the bar of your professional skills will also rise to new heights!
Metaprograms are a kind of filters for the partial omission of information. They direct our attention by removing some information and creating habitual, systematic patterns of thought and behavior. Metaprograms of a person can be different in different contexts. In organizations, they can help explain why people prefer certain types of work and understand why some people excel at certain tasks that others struggle with. These habitual and systematic patterns are called metaprograms because they program our behavior at a level above (meta) everything else.
We will describe ten commonly encountered metaprograms that provide clues to how people are likely to react in certain situations. Metaprograms are explained in the form of stereotypes for teaching purposes only. In fact, it turns out that the classification of people according to the types of metaprograms is misleading. Metaprograms are only useful for understanding patterns of behavior. One way to define metaprogram patterns is in terms of the words used, and here are a few examples of this. You can follow your own speech and try to identify your own characteristics of the metaprograms. So, the main metaprograms:
1) Direction of motivation (approach-depart)
2) The content of the activity (things-people)
3) Scheme of work (alternative methods)
4) Level of activity (initiative-reactive)
5) Size of pieces of information (global-specific)
6) Direction of attention (I-others)
7) Type of standards (references) (internal-external)
8) Behavior in the group (completion of the task-saving the team)
9) Relationship filter (match-mismatch)
10) Type of comparison (by quantity-by quality)
Direction of motivation (go-to-go away).
People are motivated to either go towards something or away from something. Go-to people know what they want and create their own motivation to achieve results. Walk away people have a hard time agreeing on desired outcomes or goals because they are more focused on what to avoid. A “going towards something” person talks about what he wants. A “walking away from something” person speaks of what he does not want. Walk away people are good for positions where they can find problems, such as quality departments, but don't ask them for solutions because they may not be able to decide which one to go for. The “go to” type is good at anything that requires the “achievement” mentality that applies to many jobs in modern organizations.
The content of the activity (things-people).
This is important for those companies in the service industry that need to show genuine customer care. People who focus on “things” are less aware of people's needs, and may even feel uncomfortable during a conversation, especially in situations of customer dissatisfaction. They show more interest in repairing a broken car than in responding to the customer's condition. Those who focus on “people” are better suited to contact with customers, as they are more sensitive and receptive to customer needs.
In the computer industry, we've found that it's easier to hire people-focused engineers and teach them engineering skills than it is to hire good technology-focused engineers and teach them people skills. In the second of these options, there is a constant struggle. Those who are people-focused talk about who they were with and who said what, while those who are more thing-oriented omit those details and talk about materials, tools, technology, machines, and so on.
Scheme of work (alternative methods).
These are very interesting patterns in business, and perhaps the easiest way to identify them is by observing behavior. Some people prefer to follow a well-written methodology, and create their own if there isn't one. But such people create a methodology, reflecting what is really happening - they are not particularly suitable for developing methods, this requires an “alternative” person.
“Alternative” people like variety and choice. They are great for brainstorming and coming up with all sorts of ideas, but they don't like the limitations of rigid methodologies. They also like to leave choices to themselves for as long as possible, so they tend to postpone decisions from day to day. If you ask the question, “Why did you decide to spend your last vacation like this?”, the “alternative” person will describe to you the reasons why they decided this way, such as “the price was right”, or “we liked it there last year”. “Methodical” people will tell you HOW they decided to go on vacation. “I went to a travel agency”, etc. - they describe their methodology. "Methodical" people are ideal for positions with strict rules and methods of work. “Alternative” people prefer jobs that give them a lot of variety and choice.
Activity level (initiative-reactive).
It's simple. Some people like to be proactive (proactive), others like to be reactive (reactive). Reacting people are firefighters. When the phone stops ringing, they rest and wait for it to ring. And enterprising people use the time between calls to make improvements to systems and love a job that has room for change and quality improvement.
Responsive people are suitable for jobs such as customer information service on the phone, receiving visitors, anything that is based on responsive services. Enterprising people would suffer from the stress of such a job. Enterprising people talk about what they are going to do, and reactive people talk about what they have done.
Size of pieces of information (global-specific).
Global people like to speak globally. They want to see the whole picture and are less concerned with the details. If you ask a global person about a movie they recently saw, you'll get an answer like, "It was a good thriller - better than the last one I saw." A particular person can talk non-stop for hours, telling you all the details of each character and each part of the plot. Detailed people often speak more consistently, and global people move freely from one topic to another. Global people can experience stress in jobs that require them to analyze and describe extensively, and detailed people find it difficult to handle jobs that require global thinking.
Orientation of attention (I-others).
This pattern is important in any industry where 100 percent of the focus must be on people, such as nursing, teaching, social services. It is also important in the training industry. People who focus on others make excellent doctors, social workers, and coaches because of their sincere concern for the well-being of others. They are very sensitive to signals of inconvenience or deviation from the desired result.
People with an introverted focus on themselves are more concerned about how they feel or how they are progressing towards their desired outcomes. They often miss many signals of other people's discomfort or dissatisfaction. In my experience, these people can be great rousing speakers, but not great coaches.
Type of standards (internal-external).
This pattern is related to the standards feedback. People with internal standards instinctively know if they have done a good job. People with external standards need someone to tell them about it. Successful entrepreneurs are highly oriented towards internal standards—they know whether they have made a good or bad decision. Many people in organizations are standards oriented and need a governance structure that gives them feedback on the standards of their work.
Behavior in the group (completion of the task-saving the team).
This is due to the direction of energy in teamwork. Some people are mostly task oriented, and it will be at the forefront of their thinking, regardless of any group conflicts and personal differences. Others focus primarily on group retention activities, and pay less attention to the task at hand when the team is in trouble. Task-oriented people are good at work that they can delve into and where they don't have to interact with too many other people. Those who are focused on retaining the team need jobs where it is important to establish and maintain good relationships, such as in public relations and customer service.
Relationship filter (similarity-difference).
There are four basic orientations that determine how people sort information from their environment in order to understand and learn.
similarity. Some people tend to look for “what is” rather than “what is missing”. They focus on commonality, and how everything fits together. For people with a strong similarity sort, there is a danger of generalizing and making assumptions very quickly. They also find it difficult to cope with organizational change, and they prefer long-term permanent work. They can safely stay in one job for 20-25 years.
Similar to exceptions. This filter looks for similarities first, with secondary emphasis on differences. During a conversation, you can determine that a person is using this filter by such comparative particles as “more”, “better”, “less”, “except”, “but”, “although”. People who rate relationships using this filter are fine with changes as long as they are gradual and not too frequent. They usually stay in one job for 5-7 years before looking for something else.
Difference. This filter can be meticulously detailed and boring. With a strong difference orientation, a person constantly notices how something does not work or does not agree. He looks for differences in everything, selecting "what is missing." Such people often start to get impatient after 9-18 months of work.
Differences with exceptions. This filter focuses primarily on “what is different”, with secondary emphasis on “what is the same”. When a person uses this filter, they say something like: "This is a nice change, although the working day remains the same." People who use this filter stay at work for about 18-36 months.
Type of comparison (by quantity-by quality).
The type of comparison is a filter for selecting information when making a decision. Information can be qualitative or quantitative. It's just a "more/less than" or "better/worse than" comparison. Different people prefer different filters, and usually make their decision based on their particular filter. Some managers make decisions based solely on the amount of profit, or savings, and pay little attention to the consequences in quality. The opposite is also widespread.
These ten Meta-Programs are a selection of those that are most useful in the life of an organization. When you can identify them, you will notice how much they affect a person's approach to work. This approach greatly affects the results of the work. You may already be using them to explain the confusing behavior of some of your acquaintances, and in later chapters we will use them to do just that.
However, the purpose of your introduction to Meta-Programs is to give you a deeper understanding of your own thinking and behavior. Are there any tasks you would rather not do? Can you identify which Meta-Program can explain this situation?
I am often asked the question, "Can you change the characteristics of your metaprograms?" The answer is yes, and it takes time. There may be reasons to learn an unfamiliar Meta-Program for long-term gain, or to use some short-term gain strategy for it. The best way to do this is to model as an example someone who has the Meta-Program you want and who uses it to achieve the goals you want.
Based on David Malden's book "Management and Power in NLP".
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Metaprograms are internal characteristics, ways of thinking of a person, on the basis of which his behavior is built. This is a very complex concept, so let's look at it from different angles.
Thinking and behavior are intertwined. If a person is confident in himself, he will speak in a certain way and feel and behave in a special way. And vice versa - in case of uncertainty, it will look appropriate.
Metaprograms are the mental keys that guide your decisions, behavior, actions, and interactions with others. They are internal representations of the external experience of reality. They determine how and what the brain pays attention to. It is a form of pattern recognition where the brain tries to make sense of what the body is feeling and experiencing.
Metaprograms are like computer operating systems that run a series of programs. Such software runs in the background and guides your thoughts, beliefs, values, memories, and reactions. Therefore, it all governs our lives on an unconscious level.
Meta-programs operate on a sorting basis, determining which of our perceptions is selected for attention and represented internally from a vast array of sensory inputs and multiple possibilities. In other words, it is a filtering process that helps to change and direct thought processes, which leads to significant differences in behavior depending on the specific situation.
It is important to note that the manifestation of certain Meta-Programs in a particular context does not automatically mean that they will manifest themselves in another context or situation. They are unstable and can change over time as you encounter new information and expand your knowledge. For example, this often happens when you are high or have other emotional difficulties. Therefore, they are more adaptive than stable.
How useful is knowledge of metaprograms?
First: the study of metaprograms will help you and your psychological characteristics. How you understand the world, how you make decisions, how you interpret your life and circumstances, how you interact with others, all depend on the metaprograms that your brain operates on. They can also tell you about your values, beliefs, habits, behaviors, and patterns of self-sabotage.
Second: They will help you better understand other people and their behavioral tendencies. This is beneficial because it will help you adapt your behavior and choose your approach when interacting with others.
Metaprograms make it clear what a person's motivation is. And realizing the motives of the interlocutor, you will receive a key that will help influence his choice, decisions and actions.
Third: Understanding how you filter and sort information gives you the unique ability to change, change, or transform your behavior in ways that improve your beliefs, values, decisions, habits, and levels of motivation.
How to identify the metaprogram
Revealing meta-programs (one's own or other people's) requires practice and serious efforts. You should look for clues in speech, behavior, beliefs, and even physiology.
When it comes to defining your own meta-programs, it is important to determine how useful they are and how they affect your life. Perhaps, after you have worked through the examples of meta-programs we have listed, you will determine that not all of them serve your good.
For each Meta-Program, ask yourself:
- How useful and effective is this Meta-Program?
- How does it shape my life and circumstances?
- Given the desired results, is it helpful or harmful?
- Do I need to make any changes? Why yes? Why not?
Ask yourself these questions as you work through each of the Meta Programs below.
General Meta-Programs
About 50 metaprograms have been identified so far (although there are undoubtedly many more). However, this figure is constantly increasing, as the interest of scientists in them increases.
It is an interesting process to learn about different kinds of Meta-Programs, but there is much to learn, and it can take a long time to understand and process this information. So instead of going through each of the 50 Meta Programs, let's focus on the most common ones that will help you better understand yourself and others. Here are the metaprograms:
- need or opportunity;
- action;
- match or mismatch;
- Me or others;
- point of view.
Let's look at each of them separately.
Need or Opportunity
This meta-program is based on whether a person makes a decision based on need, or having the opportunity. That is, forced or voluntary.
A person who makes a decision by force is often satisfied with what life gives him. He only does it to avoid pain. Agrees only to what is available and does not seek to look for a better option. Therefore, in order to influence, motivate and build a relationship with him, you need to focus on making him feel safe and comfortable. Offer him something familiar, easy, and safe.
A person with a metaprogram of opportunity seeks variety and options. He makes a decision in order to get pleasure, not to avoid pain. To influence him, you need to offer him risk and new challenges.
Tony Robbins wrote: "Everything a man does, he does either to avoid pain or to get pleasure." What kind of person do you want to be?
Action
A person can be reflective or active: either think before taking action, or take action right away. This meta-program is completely context dependent, so you can be active in one case and reflexive in another.
A reflective person rarely makes decisions quickly. He must first think about what he intends to do. He needs time and space to think about a solution.
An active person does not like to think about what he is going to do. He quickly jumps up from his seat and begins to act. Encourage him to constantly participate in any activity - so he will be motivated.
Match or mismatch
A person with a coincidence metaprogram is optimistic, he looks for similarities and a common point of view with his interlocutor, therefore, he bases his decisions on the similarities that he sees in others, circumstances and life. Mirroring their experiences, beliefs, values, and perceptions helps develop a strong emotional connection and a higher level of understanding.
The person with the mismatch goes against the current. He tends to find fault with life and circumstances. He is always looking for differences and will not agree with you no matter what the arguments are. Remember that this is not a character, but only a meta-program that can be changed. Or use reverse psychology: offer what you don't want and don't offer what you want.
me or others
The "Me or others" type is based on how a person thinks of himself in relation to others.
A person whose meta-program is based on "I" will be more self-centered. He makes decisions based on his interests. In order to influence, motivate and find mutual understanding with such a person, you need to determine how you can meet his needs.
A person with the opposite metaprogram is often very curious and focused on the needs of other people. When making a decision, he will think about how others will benefit from it. So if you want to influence him, focus the conversation around the needs of others.
Point of view
This meta-program is based on the external or internal perception of the situation.
A person with inner perception is intuitive and self-oriented. This means that he often makes decisions based on feelings and personal opinion. Therefore, in communicating with him, it is important to focus on emotions and experience.
A person with external perception is focused on the environment. He consistently seeks answers and approval from others. Therefore, in order to influence, motivate and build rapport with him, you will need to provide him with solid suggestions of your own or talk about other people's ideas and suggestions.
We wish you good luck!
The article was written on the basis of materials from blog.iqmatrix.com.
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