Modelling and Transferring Excellence

A Positive and Supportive Approach to Developing Excellent Educational Practice

Much current attention in education is focussed on the tensions between the (unfortunately common) outmoded practices within the education system and the current needs and demands of our modern, diverse, technological, and rapidly changing society. Various conferences, campaigns and projects focus on this disaffection and many of the ideas generated relate to how 'we' could - as well as how 'we' should - make changes to and within the system.

Applying the best of NLP, we are suggesting a parallel but radically different perspective. It is based on the fact that, even given the inadequacies of the present system, there are many individuals, departments and organisations that are highly successful in what they are achieving - they are undeniable ‘Centres of Excellence’.

The roots of NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) lie in Modelling Excellence, and discovering ‘the difference that makes a difference’.

Modelling involves identifying people (or teams or organisations) that are excellent, and eliciting what precisely they do when they are 'being excellent' (ie their behaviours) - and, even more importantly 'how they do it'. We know that excellent behaviour comes from a deep level of unconscious competence, what is often referred to as 'habits' - ie when we are 'being excellent' we are not thinking about what we are doing, we simply do it!

NLP provides us with the analytical tools to ascertain a person’s unconscious habits, including:

Ø his/her Outcomes and some of the key factors that support him/her in achieving them – in particular:

Ø how s/he knows when s/he’s achieved them (or not)

Ø his/her Values (ie the source of their motivation) and associated Beliefs

Ø his/her underpinning capacities, skills and capabilities – eg rapport and state management – and the associated thought processes and thinking strategies they have developed

Ø how s/he manages his/her emotional state – both in ‘easy’ and ‘challenging’ circumstances

ie the internal foundations of the behaviours and skills that these identified individuals have developed, and which we see in all their glory in their excellent behaviour. Furthermore, if we identify several exemplars of excellence within a particular field we would then look to ascertain common characteristics – ie the common factors that represent the difference that really make a difference.

Modelling excellent behaviour is in itself fascinating, but :

Ø What if we could teach and transfer the behaviours to others? – and we can!

Ø What if we can make the skills of modelling an integral part of an organisation? The organisation would then have a generic approach to development embedded within it – a truly ‘Learning Organisation’

NLP provides the models, understanding and skills to achieve this. What is more, using accelerated learning alongside NLP makes the process a rapid one.

Understandably, there are very high expectations of our education system, and these are, in so many ways, not being met - that is why education is under a critical spotlight and continuous scrutiny. The NLP Education Network has been set up to develop and promote excellence in education - using NLP, accelerated learning and other up-to-date models of learning and teaching - to enable us to rediscover the joys of learning and teaching.

We are looking to work with and alongside partners who share this ideal and who are, or want to be, centres of excellence - and we need many such beacons.

Jeff Lewis