Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP). It sounds complicated, but with a basic understanding it can radically change the way your employees and teams perform in the workplace. It’s all about how we perceive the world around us, and how we use language to communicate and share this perception.

When we understand this process, we can positively influence how people think, speak and behave. At work, this can mean changing damaging or unproductive attitudes and habits, and helping people approach events and situations in a more productive way.

So what effect can NLP have on your team?

Firstly, morale. Help your colleagues feel more committed and connected to the business, and they’ll perform more effectively. As a team leader, it’s up to you to lead the way by treating colleagues with respect, considering their ideas and making sure they see themselves as an essential part of the company. A fundamental knowledge of NLP techniques will prove instrumental in getting your colleagues over barriers and reaching new levels of performance.

You can also go for an NLP quick-win – give everyone on the team set objectives. With easily-understood goals, your colleagues will have a direction and result to work towards. This tends to motivate people and give them a sense of ownership and responsibility. You can also take this a step further by offering incentives for a job well done.

NLP isn’t just about inspiring new behaviour. It can tap into someone’s hidden skills and abilities, uncovering valuable potential and empowering them to take control of their role and career. One way to help a colleague improve is to present a high-performing team member as a role model, championing their behaviour as something to aspire to. By encouraging your team to rise to this level, you can unlock a proactive attitude they may not have known was there.

Another useful trait of NLP is making colleagues reflect on their interactions with people and how this affects their role. We all know how important client and customer communications are, which is why NLP is often used to identify negative behaviours like slouching and avoiding eye contact. By pinpointing behaviours like these, individuals don’t just become more conscious of improving their own behaviour, they become more aware of how other people come across. This helps build empathy and a more natural connection when dealing with co-workers and customers.

Finally, remember it’s all about positive changes. The way we see and interact with our workplace has more to do with us than the world around us. Shared environments don’t necessarily mean shared experiences – each of us interprets the world in our own way. But with an effective approach to NLP, your team members can better understand their own attitudes and behaviours, giving them the power to change for the better.

If you’d like to find out more about building effective teams and finding the right people for your Third Sector organisation, please get in touch with the team at AWS.