Burgess - The Bumper Bundle Book of Modelling

In 1998, in a hotel on Primrose Hill, London, at his workshop on Patterns, John Grinder declared:

If we do not produce more modellers and models, NLP will become a footnote in history of the late 20th and early 21st century.

That was my Call to Action, and fifteen years later this book is the result. On that day, I decided that learning about modelling, growing modellers and learning how to teach modelling, would be my contribution to the field of NLP. This would be my payback for the fantastic changes NLP had enabled in my life.

From that day, my husband Derek Jackson and I invited the worlds best modellers to The Northern School of NLP, so that not only could they teach our students but us as well. Robert Dilts, David Gordon, Judith Delozier, Steve Gilligan, John McWhirter, Shelle Rose Charvet, James Lawley and Penny Tompkins all stalk the pages of this book, their energies, wisdom and spirit contributing to the experiences I have had and the conclusions I have come to. Starting back then, with next to no knowledge, skills or understanding, I was a willing apprentice.

I was very fortunate to have had lots of learners to test my learning, and those who travelled onwards onto NLP Trainers training could plot the stages of my thinking. Progressive Master Practitioners benefited from my increased coherence, as well as my improved methods of teaching the mysteries of modelling. But most of all, the fantastic group of learners who became part of our Explorers Club did much to help me bring my thoughts together into a series of simple frameworks.

There were some great breakthrough moments. Without being fully aware of my background churn of confusion, my modellers system was continuously filtering for patterns relating to my quest. Newspaper articles, talks on the radio, events in training, and chance conversations could turn an everyday event into a moment of epiphany. So obvious the insight, there would be a moment when I would suspect everyone knew this, and what had taken me so long?

Just as I was initially overwhelmed by the enormity and naivety of the task I had set myself, I also reluctantly accept that the NLP world at large seems to have a limited appetite for the concept and rigours of modelling; being more content to work with the techniques and apply the known skills. Though the optimist within me suspects that there are many adherents out there, operating below the radar, who dont consider what they do to be modelling. I do believe ultimately, that when the appeal of standalone skills and techniques wane, the art of modelling will always remain a relevant attribute and will always provide an essential contribution.

I smile wryly when I think that my lifes work well the last fifteen years of it has been devoted to something so apparently esoteric that possibly a fraction of those within our global NLP community may be interested to find out what I have come up with! But this could be the very justification for the pursuit. Make the modelling process easier, accessible and relevant, and many more people will naturally be able to become identified with it, and involved. Show how all the NLP skills and knowledge can dance together to unfold powerful information, and NLP will rise in credibility and prominence.

I fully believe that this book can raise the level of a practitioners NLP tradecraft to a level of practice where he or she will have the confidence to decide the many differences they want to make. As my knowledge became integrated, I realised that what I am offering here is a comprehensive coverage not just of an advanced NLP syllabus, but a joined up way of thinking about NLP. Hopefully I have made NLP and modelling both interchangeable, as well as simple and obvious.

What you wont find here is a well-documented investigation of materials already published not least because there is not very much published on NLP modelling. Whilst several of the modellers featured have written up their own modelling methodologies, they tend to focus on how to deliver these methodologies, rather than focus at a meta level on the process of modelling itself.

What you will find here are the conclusions arising from the overview I have gained. The bulk of the material is gleaned through personal exposure to key players, and from direct experience of their workshops, reference to their handouts, my notes, and videoed performance. I have also had occasion to consult their writings and YouTube materials. I am also extremely grateful for the conversations Ive had over email with many of my mentors, who have been able to correct my thinking, offer suggestions and above all give support. The integration and meta level of understanding have come through testing my understanding on myself, with our learners and my clients; and through the continuous thinking, referring, comparing, generalising, tussling, and occasional despairing and recovery from overwhelm.