Archive for November, 2011

The Intuitive Mind

In Two Kinds Of Minds

Nov 29th

Posted by Judy in Body-Mind

1 comment

You probably realise that you have two kinds of mind, working together to make you, you. But what do you call them?

It does actually matter quite a lot!

As I’ve written here many times, the metaphors we use in our language are a side-effect of the metaphors we use in our thinking. We think in metaphors: metaphor is the stuff of thought.

By the way, I’ve just discovered this great little video of Susan Greenfield, explaining how the ability to think in metaphor – to compare one kind of thing with another kind of thing – may be the thing which truly distinguishes man from the apes:

And at the same time, the metaphors we use in our language can have a profound effect on the way we think. Great orators have known for many centuries that a powerful metaphor can be the key to winning over an audience.

So, what are the two kinds of mind – and what metaphors are most appropriate when we’re talking about them?

In this blog, until recently, I’ve referred to the “conscious” and “unconscious” mind as being like a rider on an elephant.

More recently, I’ve been gripped by Iain McGilchrist’s work, and referred to the right and left More >

What Is Clean Language?

Nov 28th

Posted by Judy in Clean Language

1 comment

I talk a lot about Clean Language on this blog. But you may be wondering what Clean Language is, and why it’s interesting. So (thanks to a nudge from a friend on Facebook) I’ve decided it’s time for a few short introductory YouTube videos. Here’s the first one:

If you prefer to read your introduction, check out Wikipedia or BusinessBalls

And here’s another, about why Clean Language is called “Clean Language”:

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Using Clean Language Questions In Your Elevator Pitch

Nov 25th

Posted by Judy in Clean Language

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Do you have an “elevator pitch”? I suppose I do – but it doesn’t follow the official structure. Instead of sticking to the “I help X to do Y so that Z” formula and talking at my conversational partner, I’d rather ask lots of questions. In this video, I describe how I do it. Judging by some of the conversations I had at NLP Conference last weekend, this works. Watch video

Why Can’t I Make NLP Submodalities Work For Me?

Nov 24th

Posted by Judy in Clean Language

4 comments

A persistent young man asked the same question in a couple of sessions at NLP Conference.

“I’m having real difficulty using submodality shifts on myself, to change my own state. Is it just me, or do other people struggle with this?”

You know the kind of thing he’s talking about – it’s in all the NLP textbooks. Here are a couple of examples.

The thing is, that stuff works for some people when they do it one themselves. But it doesn’t work well for others – and, as I told the young man, I’ve never had much joy with it myself.

I’m becoming increasingly curious about the issues that arise when you take an exercise which was designed to be done with a partner, and apply it to yourself. There’s a definite difference!

You don’t think about yourself in the same way as you think about another person. For example, as I mentioned in a previous blog, there are neurological reasons that you will not be as empathetic towards yourself as you would be towards another person. Meanwhile you will also  have self-serving biases and blind spots.

As a Clean Language facilitator I know that the motive power of a coaching session comes from the client. More >

Clean Language Goes “Mainstream”

Nov 23rd

Posted by Judy in Clean Language

2 comments

“If you’re not into Clean Language, you’re very much behind the curve this year.”

That was the comment from one participant at the NLP Conference as she realised just how much Clean Language had featured in the presentations.

Even I can’t be everywhere at once, so with up to seven streams of activity at any one time, I missed many sessions. But my “spies” were keen to let me know how much of a role Clean was playing.

Almost every presenter seemed to have a Clean Language question up their sleeve – ready to be introduced to power the central activity of their session.

For example, Jackie Arnold mentioned that she used Clean Language more than 80 per cent of the time in her coaching super-vision sessions. Why? Because it works.

Participants in her session considered the question: “When you are coaching/supervising at your best, you are like… what?” Then we discovered more about our metaphors by asking each other Clean Language questions about those eagles, owls, clowns and mirrors.

You might like to try it for yourself. When you’re working at your best, that’s like… what? Then ask: “What kind of X?” and “Is there anything else about X?” about the various aspects of your metaphor.

It’s not More >

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