It's about, time ....

.... for evolution!

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"A Framework for Excellence"!

"A Framework for Excellence" is the title for Charlotte Bretto Milliners 1988 book. 

The intention here is that a 'Framework for Excellence', replace the old 'standards & codes of ethics' used ineffectively by the multitude of NLP membership organisations. 'Standards' and 'Codes of Ethics' are essentially the frames within which the members commit to operate.

  • The proposed solution - A Framework for Excellence!
  • The original problem!

(This entire section is a work in progress and is not yet complete, although it is workable as it stands.)

The proposed solution - A Framework for Excellence!

IPANLP Associates are not restricted by an outdated, minimal standards syllabus nor a hypocritical code of ethics.  Instead there is a set of guidelines and for each Associate to voluntarily demonstrates their own professionalism by observing an NLP Oath as an NLP Agent of Change - see here

IPANLP Associates are invited to demonstrate the distinction between content and process in their attitudes and behaviours. IPANLP Associates continually seek to exceed all existing standards and hold themselves up to the highest levels of integrity and ethics.

IPANLP's complaints procedure & disciplinary policy rather than seeking to banish or exclude, would point an offender to a role model who is tasked to mentor and encourage them to improve their practices & behaviours - 'Leave the client in a better state than you found them!'

IPANLP seek to highlight and exemplify the best associates of the community so others have excellent role models to aspire to. This is in keeping with NLP Modelling which is after all at the core of NLP!

As has been stated, most 'Standards' are an outdated, minimum syllabus expectation rarely applied, a rigid frame which restricts choice rather than increasing it. 

IPANLP proposes a 'Framework' which allows for subjectivity and an expansion of choice for the Educator and participant. The encouraged "Framework for Excellence" will be what you as an "NLP Agent of Change" (Practitioner) can expect to learn and be able to apply at each of the various levels (see below) but not restricted by. 

This allows the trainer to deliver the training with NLP Patterns specialising in their own specific interests, contexts or competencies.

Each trainer therefore may demonstrate different descriptions of the pattern, although the underlying pattern is the same. For the participant they will always get training in the foundational generative patterns of NLP with the distinctions from the perspective of the individual trainer, or can indeed choose their trainer based on a specific context of competency.

 For the IPANLP Framework please see menu at the top right of this page.

The original problem!

Most NLP membership organisations have an outdated rigid set of minimum standards and a basic code of ethics generally derivative of the codes & standards from other NLP membership organisations. Infact some organisations have copied theirs literally lock, stock & barrel from other NLP membership organisations! 

A code of ethics creates an assumption that the would be member is unethical and needs to follow a code to make them ethical. In which area of application should this code of ethics apply? All? Isn't it reasonable to accept that if ecology/congruence is taught correctly that 'ethics' is already taken care of? Ecology is part of most standard syllabi, right?

Their standards are most often just a number of days/hours and minimum syllabus which must be covered at each level of training, which haven't been updated in forever!  It is simply the syllabus which is standard, a list of topics to be covered rather than how they will be taught! Therefore the quality of training at which the syllabus is covered differs from trainer to trainer and more often than not certificates are issued for attendance or even 'ticking the boxes' rather than for the participant reaching a specified standard of practically applicable skill.

Little wonder it's been asserted, by at least one of the co-creators of NLP, that "99% of NLP Trainers haven't got a clue about NLP!!"

Initially NLP Practitioner training duration was 120 hours over 20 day, or a 6 hour training day!  It is not practical or effective to run quality NLP training in more than 6 hours a day. Original trainings would be 6 hour training day and the participants would come back in the evening to do around 3 more hours of practice!! Effectively run NLP training is demanding on the participants, not only mentally but physically & emotionally too.

Some organisation demand their trainers perform for 130 hours in 15 days! A 10 hour day if reasonable time for breaks & lunch is included. It is an unreasonable expectation for participants to undergo 10 hours of intensive training for 15 straight days. 

Facilitation of exercises & feedback with a group of 5 will be significanly faster than with a group of 50!  Therefore IPANLP do not enforce a rigid no. of hours per day, but would reasonably expect that our trainers can calibrate their own groups and run longer hours on days that are less taxing on their participants. What is important is the quality of the NLP Training & quality of practice rather than no. of hours or days.

Another common occurance is that trainers who are expected to run a 14 day training to meet the 'standard' syllabus of their membership organisation end up running shortened days because they simply do not have the experience to provide adequate training over a full 14 days. For the participant (often busy professionals) this means 14 days of training which could easily be fitted into less days, perhaps saving even half the time which could be spent productively in their business or home life!

Many NLP Organisations syllabi include topics which are not strictly NLP, they are sets of 'content' models rather than generative 'process' models which NLP itself is. These 'content' models can be interesting to learn and are sometimes useful.  Often times they are fillers and it would be better to learn the underlying structure, process and patterns of NLP through discovery, so that they may be applied intuitively and generatively in the real world.