Idioms of the Economy by Paul Cook

As we cartwheel joyfully into the business autumn and let the joys of summer slip gracefully into our warm memories I can’t help but wonder at the latest round of political narrative.  The coalition returned early from summer recess in order to save the world (voted against it) and then moved on to some real encouraging noises about the economy; well they eventually did but first had to discuss the burning question as to whether badgers are responsible.

Really listen to what they (MPs) say and you will discover that you really can’t really listen to what they say!  In Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) parlance they use vague or fuzzy language or the art of ‘Deliberately Vague’.  This is based on research carried out by Milton Erickson, a famous therapist.  The full results known as the ‘Milton Model’, captures the skill and positive use of ambiguities, imbedded commands, implied causation, mind reading, generalisations etc.  You may recognise some of this stuff if you look at your horoscope for the week.  Vague, fuzzy, unclear, but ultimately designed to let you make up your own conclusions and fit it to your own world! In October 1992 at the Conservative Party Conference John Major said ‘’In the name of the present and future we cannot sit this one out’’.  What name?  Which present?  Which future?  Sit what out?

So the vague approach to the description of the economy is strategically on the agenda and described by our leaders in a manner fit for Mystic Meg.  ‘The tide is turning’, ‘growth is again around the corner’, ‘Europe is once more reaching out’, ‘the seeds of recovery’, ‘you will meet a dark stranger’; idioms of economy.  But the reality is your own and owned by you; where are you now? Where do you want to be?  How can you achieve this?  Who can work with you?  The housing market may have achieved growth of 1.34%; this may or may not be useful if you are in the industry of ice cream selling.  The formula you need may be different, but the point is that there is one and you can find it with a little help.

http://www.zestbusinesscoaching.co.uk/team_business_coaching.php

Idioms have been around for hundreds of years and used to apply descriptors for people situations and business.  For example ‘stuck between a rock and a hard place’, ‘barking up the wrong tree’, ‘don’t bite off more than you can chew’ et al.  These now need a 2013 makeover and I am pleased to announce the Zest Business Coaching grand launch of ‘effective idioms for a modern business’ (stay with it)

• A bird in the hand is not better than two in the bush provided the two are strategically placed in your global network
• You can lead a horse to water and make it drink providing you hand the reigns to a qualified sales negotiator
• Drastic times call for embedded business continuity and robust delivery plans
• When in Rome, build rapport
• The bigger they are the more potential there is for building great relationships
• Do count your chickens before they hatch to maximise projected opportunities
• Do look a gift horse in the mouth, remember what happened to sub prime
• Too many cooks spoil the reality that you have plenty of skilled resources

‘The government’s view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: if it moves tax it.  If it keeps moving, regulate it.  If it stops moving subsidise it’.                                     Ronald Regan

Paul's Working Holiday

Want to improve your NLP skills?  Simple, go to Morocco!

My 82 year old Mother in Law is really 26; she has 82 years on planet Earth but they have not stopped her traveling like a Michael Palin on acid.  As an executive coach and NLP practitioner I am well versed with ‘well-formed outcomes’.  These fundamentally refer to a positive intention, evidenced by knowing what it would be like when you do it put into context, a reality check and then a positive first step.  When my Mother in Law says to my wife ‘’I’m going to Marrakech, will you come with me?’’ I think she hits all the ingredients.  What I hadn’t recognised and a new NLP model (I suggest) is what I now refer to as the ‘Third party well-formed outcome effect’ i.e. my wife to me- ‘’Paul will you come with us?  We would feel a lot safer.’’

Walking, no, fighting your way through the old Medina in aforementioned city as chief security/health and safety officer for elderly lady and pretty blonde woman brings many challenges; cobbled streets with many holes designed to trip elderly lady, moped riders who are hell bent on running over elderly lady should pot holes not succeed, middle aged Arabic gentlemen assertively staring at or touching hair of pretty blonde lady, unidentified persons looking for opportunities to relieve me of my wallet/camera/hat! And if one dares to make the audacious judgement to stop and view a map then this clearly is a signal to young boys to surround us and demand money.  Yes of course, as in NLP classes I would suggest this is the situation based on my own perception; what I needed to do was change that and see it from the Moroccan perspective.  This led me to also think about other presuppositions (of NLP) and how we can apply them in more challenging situations, after all the world is a challenging place, think of today’s economy and how you may need to do things differently in business:  Einstein said ‘in order to affect the world’s problems we need to think and act differently: that we won’t change the issues with the thinking that generated those issues in the first place’.

So my changed perspective linked to NLP presupposition tactics took the following forms;

The map is not the territory.  I now see what you see; it is ok for everything to be in disrepair, old and young to beg in the streets and people to be second best to mechanical transport.  It’s the way it is.

The meaning of communication is the response you get. Telling you that I don’t want to buy that old tat for extortionate prices if it was my last day on Earth is not clear enough, I just need to be more precise.

The person with the most flexibility in thinking and behaviour has the most influence on any interaction. After stealing my camera and demanding 50 Dirham to get it back can be easily addressed by me offering you half that amount.

There is a problem to every solution. Next year we are going to Blackpool, I hear the weather is lovely in April.

NB Morocco is a beautiful place with charming history.  It is also boot camp for NLP training.