NLP - How To Change The Way You Think

I want to share a true story about an amazing experience I had using a simple NLP technique 15 years ago. And yes it really did make the difference between me earning $15,000 and over $300,000 on one contract.

Just over 15 years ago, whilst working for a corporate client in the IT sector, I was asked by a major account manager (for whom I had previously delivered a successful intiative) to go and help one of his programme directors - let's call him Mr T - who was experiencing big delivery problems.

$30m was at stake...

In fact Mr T's team was 6 months into an 18 month project, and hadn't hit a single milestone! Their client was threatening litigation. $30m was at stake.

I tried to contact Mr T, but he didn't take my calls or respond to messages. So one day, on a return trip from another project, I undertook a major detour, and physically called in on Mr T and his senior project manager.

He did confirm that they had major issues, but couldn't see how "yet another bl**dy consultant could make any difference". Reluctantly and largely to manage the politics of his relationship with the account manager, he gave me a 3 week contract (worth about $15,000)....

I was absolutely terrifed

I arrived at the office block that had been rented for the project duration and that housed the several teams of over 300 software developers, project experts, and IT experts - all sitting hunched over their desktops and laptops - all looking sooo competent and soooo busy - and I was absolutely terrifed (and I really don't scare easily).

I was IT illiterate!

I could see this was a massive career and commercial opportunity for me, and yet I felt overwhelmed. All of my dormant insecurities rose to the surface.

Why? Because, I am embarrassed and slightly ashamed to admit that at that time I was IT illiterate (I had grown up in era when IT was delegated to support staff).

As I returned to my hotel room after my first day, I realised two things: firstly that the problems were people problems and not IT problems and so I COULD solve it; and secondly, that I needed to FEEL that I could solve it - I had to overcome those crippling negative feelings as I entered the office block.

My nervous system was flooded with powerful feelings of success

I put into practise a simple NLP technique that I had learned some while before - based around an anchor and trigger linked to a past success and the FEELING of that success.

Here's what I did. From the second morning - and for each morning of the next 3 weeks - I activated the trigger as I stepped through the office door and my nervous system was flooded with powerful feelings of success and confidence and I felt empowered.

That feeling translated into action...

... within 3 weeks I made sure that his team met their first milestone. 12 months later I was still there and the project was completed on time and in budget. Mr T and his team hit every single one of the subsequent 183 milestones.