Geniuses in NLP, how many could there be?

While surfing the net in recent times I couldn't help but noticed how on many NLP and Hypnosis sites, individuals are increasingly described as geniuses! On one site I saw a list of interviews where all the interviewees were geniuses!

In Webster's dictionary a "genius" is defined as

"extraordinary intellectual power especially as manifested in creative activity c: a person endowed with transcendent mental superiority; especially : a person with a very high IQ"

On checking the alledged "geniuses" on the sites I found it somewhat difficult to think of many these people as posessing "transcendant mental superiority" and in some cases even "mental superiority"

In an era of hype in marketing it seems more and more commonplace that people give themselves ever grander titles and describe themselves in more grandiose ways. I have met some very smart people in the world of NLP, in business and in the Arts, but I struggle to properly describe many as geniuses. It reminds me of a comment I once heard in a workshop years ago when a trainer commented

"I have told you a million times not to exagerate!"

Controversial figures in NLP and Change Work

A casual glance at newsgroups shows how some NLP trainers provoke a huge range of responses. The very best ones usually attract the crazies and stalkers who obsess about their every utterance! I have had my own share of "pet stalkers, trolls and crazies" god bless them! Here are in my view some of the best minds worth checking out for Change Work and NLP.

Richard Bandler and other trainers that speak their minds
Of course Richard Bandler is probably the number one target for the usually anonymous posters and critics. RB has alwys been outspoken and although I don't agree with all his views he has done an amazing job in bringing NLP to the masses. I first trained with himin the 1990s and have interviewed him on a number of ocassions, mp3s and transcripts can be found at http://www.nlpmp3.com/. I have always been impressed by his sense of humour and attitude. He has of course written over 40 books and continues to run workshops in the UK, Europe and USA.

Frank Farrelly & Provocative Therapy
Another great trainer is Frank Farrelly who was doing clinical work while Richard was still in high school! Frank also has a great sense of humour, unbelievable attitude and razor sharp mind. He originally trained with Carl Rodgers, but his Provocative Therapy approach was poles apart from Carl's original work. Frank certainly had his battles with the establishment and on a number of ocassions the "establishment" tried to shut him down. Bandler and Grinder both had Frank on their radar in the 1980s. Frank still runs events at the age of 77 and will be in the UK in Nov 2008 - see www.associationforrovocativetherapy.com and www.provocativetherapy.info


Milton Erickson and Hypnosis
Milton was a big influence on the creators of NLP and was again pretty controversial in his approaches. On numerous ocassions the establishment of the day attempted to curtail his working. I don't know about his sense of humour, but like Frank he was also a real creative genius. Milton of course long since shuffled off this mortal coil but Doug O Brien teaches Ericksonian material in his NLP & Hypnosis events.

The new wave of trainers?
There are literally thousands of NLPers and therapists, but IMO few real inovators. Many NLP practitioners simply parrot what their trainer's taught them and don't make the imaginative leap to a new level. I'm always wary of those who focus on titles and always quote others rather than from their own experience. I created http://www.nlpmp3.com/ to bring many of the best minds to one place so people can hear a range of uncensoed views and advice.

Good Listening

Nick Kemp
Creator of NLPmp3.com
http://www.nickkemp.com/

Running NLP events and training styles

I first heard about NLP in the early 1990s and my first training was with Richard Bandler, Michael Breen and Paul McKenna. This was a rock and roll 7 day training and to my amazement there were over 350+ attendees! In the hay day of the Paul McKenna London trainings, there were up to 600 attendees on some of the events with an assisting team of 50+. Between 2000 and 2003 I assisted on many events and this was very helpful in formulating my own trainings and especially with figuring out the best formats for learning. To date I have taught NLP introduction, Practitioner and Master Practitioner events, all in a modular format, which in my experience gives people the best opportunity to integrate skills.

I have also seen literally thousands of people on both my own and other's courses which has give me an excellent insight into what works best in terms of sequencing information. I have also mentioned in recent times my lament about the increasing hype in NLP marketing which IMO does very little to promote the credibility of NLP n the public domain.

One of the main bones of contention between NLP schools is the insistance that NLP certificated courses MUST be of a certain duration. I remember seeing one website that had a vitriolic attack on accelerated NLP events and
seemed to run its own training like an out of bounds course, each to their own! Last year an enquirer toone of my own events had just attended a very well know USA style NLP event where she literally sat behind a desk for the first 4 days listening to a presenter repeat exactly what she had already listened to one the 20 CD preparation pack. She commented that the delegates only completed one exercise a day and she was bored to tears by the presenter's style!

NLP is NLP, not and TFT, EFT, Reiki, Tree Hugging etc

With great dismay I notice today that one major NLP company now displays TFT on its NLP website as part of its NLP training. No wonder the public get confused when these different appoaches get muddled in this way!

NLP is NLP, just that!

NLP is NLP and there are enough tools in the NLP toolkit to work with most client conditions. My view is that some NLP companies now try to tag on a raft of additional approaches in an attempt to sell more events. Now we have additional certfications and diplomas all to increase the hype and fuel marketing initiatives. I have spoken out regularly against what I call "happy clappers" who seem more preoccupied with learning techniques that require no thinking and can just be rolled out regardless of whatever the client prsents in relation to "the problem"

Tapping

I have no training in tapping, but have increasingly had clients come to see me who have seen tappers and not doscovered any useful benefits. In one instance a client had a telephone consultation, where they had ever even met the tapper! I did laugh at the http://www.tappingforcash.com/ website and couldn't help but wonder how satire could be very close to real life...

NLP and Professional Standards

I am pleased to be a board member of ANLP which is UK based and at least has a code of ethical standards, which in my view are pretty good. When I receive equiries about NLP training many of the public are totally confused by the hype that exists and of course many new trainers who have given up their day jobs, then quickly return to them once they realise that teaching NLP is not an easy and certainly not usually a financially lucrative option unless the trainers have good business strategies. I can't help but wonder how companies that employ comission only sales staff to sell NLP courses may have a greater focus on purely generating "bums on seats" than running training events in a responsible manner.

So for anyone choosing an NLP training, read carefully what is said on the trainer's website and check the content for accuracy of information! Also take a look at http://www.nlpmp3.com/ to hear lots of free unedited information from a variety of different NLP trainers and decide for yourself who is worth listening to and who is worth training with!

Nick Kemp
www.nickkemp.com