Teamwork & Teambuilding

Team building involves the process of turning a collection of individuals into a cohesive and supportive group that is united in their goals and values and dedicated to serving the needs of their customers by accomplishing those purpose and goals.

Capable and creative teams all start with skillful leaders. NLP offers the most advanced set of skills for team building required to create functional teams that work together in a caring way which is also fun and enjoyable for team leaders as well as for the members of teams.

From the beginning of the NLP Practitioner Training, team leaders as well as team members can discover two of the most important techniques, which in NLP are called “Sensory Acuity” and Rapport Skills – how to establish trust and cooperation while maintaining deep respect for each other and how to observe minute changes in a person’s physiology that most people do not notice.

By developing the skills necessary to build rapport, the team leader can then share those skills to everyone involved in the team in a way where trust and cooperation develop and grow. The success of a team depends very much on the cohesiveness of that team. A collection of individuals is not coherent. A team always is and therefore the results are far better when cohesiveness is present.

The process of Creating Your Future® has a particular way of using the future Time Line for goal setting. This is not visualization per se, but it involves a very specific process which if followed correctly allows future goals and objectives to be achieved exactly as set by the team. The process involves the know-how to set measurable goals which are realistic.

The concept of constant meaningful communication recognizes that every person is different. The idea of inventing a mind-reading software that instantly transmits one person’s thoughts to the rest of the group is not useful. Each person understands each word in their own individual way based on their previous experience, past personal history, and their values and beliefs. NLP and Time Line Therapy® recognize that the differences between us, if understood non-judgmentally, constitute the beauty and creativity of the group who can share insights and come up with innovations. If everyone thinks in the same way, the results would be boring.

Specifically, NLP helps with the discovery of the meaning of words as used by each person without bias or any dogmatic approach (the technique is called “Presuppositions in natural language”). Without this the result usually leads to grave misunderstandings, hurt feelings, triggers, lack of cohesiveness, and non-productivity.

From the Time Line Therapy® section of the NLP Practitioner, the process for changing the Time Line (specifically from In-Time to Through Time) makes a very big difference between projects accomplished timely vs. those who are late.

One of the main basic principles of NLP is “the person with most flexibility of behavior controls the system.” Through various techniques, from conscious use of language, Submodalities techniques (submodalities are minute distinctions which help us to differentiate in our brain things we like vs. those we don’t like), reframing, and many others, NLP can help with increased flexibility.

Probably one of the most beneficial techniques, which is indispensable for any team determined to work together cohesively and achieve great results, is Values Alignment. This technique is taught during the NLP Master Practitioner Training, and together with MetaPrograms are priceless skills in group cohesiveness. Both Values and MetaPrograms are internal filters of the mind. These filters are usually different from person to person. If they are different, even if at the conscious level, people agree to certain values. If there is disagreement at the unconscious level, the result is incoherent.

The ability to discover, elicit, and change values for the context of working in that team can make the difference between a fun and successful environment to the satisfaction of all involved (which further leads to more bonding between the members of the team) or, if not aligned, the opposite.

The ability to ask meaningful questions designed to clarify imprecise communication – which is a source of misunderstanding and even conflict, is part of the NLP Meta-Model section.

The Presuppositions in natural language from NLP can assist with the ability to listen “between the lines” without personal bias or guessing.

The capacity to give and get feedback without fear of reprisal is another skill essential for the well-functioning of groups. In NLP, the best accepted type of feedback which avoids defensiveness (a protective mechanism arising when one feels criticized) is called the Feedback Sandwich. This process allows for honest feedback which is accepted and taken in productively by the listener. This type of feedback is clear, concise, and yet empathetic and encouraging.

Conflict resolution skills are an important part of team building. Sometimes conflict can happen for the simplest of things. NLP recognizes that some people are thinking “big picture.” They don’t need many details to get a perfect job done. By contrast, others need a lot of details. And yet to complicate the issue further, some people need first the big picture and then the details, while others need the details first and then the big picture at the end. Nothing is wrong with any of this – they are just different ways of processing information. By understanding each other’s mode of processing, blame is avoided and frustration eliminated.

NLP can offer solutions for the team leader through several techniques, like the ability to navigate in one’s mind from big picture to specifics without any cognitive strain (the process is called The Hierarchy of Ideas), which in turn leads to more advanced skills taught in the NLP Master Practitioner Training. One of those more advanced processes specific to NLP is the Negotiation and Mediation between members of the team when and if conflicts arise. Conflicts and opposite positions are quickly and efficiently solved by using the Negotiation and Mediation Process.

NLP and Time Line Therapy® can assist with specific understandings and immediately applicable processes in building of cohesive teams, socializing in activities pleasing to everybody, bonding, team performance, friendly competition, fun, and motivation. When teams work together cohesively, have fun, and experience a high level of motivation, they communicate better, experience less stress, enhance company culture, and make goals achievable to the benefit of all employee’s engagement and morale.