Recently, on social media, an NLP Practitioner asked a question about a client who reported having a phobia, and with whom he used the NLP Fast Phobia Cure, which may have partly worked, but it came back a few days later?
The limited scope of Myers-Briggs Personality testing (MBTI)
I strongly encourage people to time-limit their identity statements like the above "I am an ISTF."
Better phrasing might include "Recently I was measured as an 'ISTF'." Or "Several years ago I received an 'ISTF' measurement on the Myers-Briggs, and don't know if I'd be the same or different today. Etc.
I believe that taking on such identity statements is one causal element of what leads either to inflexible behavior, or to difficulty with change, OR to diminished self-awareness during & after personality changes occur -- i.e., personality change may still occur, but one's accuracy with self-knowledge deteriorates, holding on to old "test scores" as current indicators, when they may not be valid anymore as time goes by.
I have taken the Myers-Briggs test six times, and gotten six very different readings. The Myers-Briggs test is, IMHO, a reading of your present-tense-only behavioral traits along ONLY four metaprograms. The four they chose to measure are:
- Introvert <--> Extrovert
- iNtuitive <--> Sensing
- Thinking <--> Feeling
- Perceiving <--> Judging
I suggest to ALL of you that if you can effectively try on a different map/model of the world -- inclusive of the unique beliefs & values & outcomes of those different models -- then you WILL get different readings.
Also as you grow, learn, & change in life, subsequent Myers-Briggs tests may very well produce different readings from prior readings. It is only a snapshot of the present moment in the present context, and given that in NLP we teach & measure a lot more than four metaprograms, I personally think the Myers-Briggs test is an impoverished measurement producing certainly useful information which is still less useful than acquiring EVEN MORE information would be.
When meeting people anew, rather than knowing their Myers-Briggs score, I'd much rather know the present-tense answers to where they are on these metaprogram scales (not to mention many others that are also useful):
- Towards <--> Away-from (Motivation Direction)
- Proactive <--> Reactive (Leadership behavior vs. Problem-Solver?)
- High Chunk Thinker <--> Low Chunk Thinker (Engineer or Visionary; Chunk Size)
- Chunk Up? <--> Chunk Down? <--> Chunk Lateral (Chunk Direction tendency)
- Procedures <--> Options (Productivity Process Preference)
- Sorts by Self <--> Sorts by Others (Frame of Reference - Internal vs External?)
- Difference <--> Sameness <--> Sameness w/ Diff <--> Diff w/ Sameness (Patterns of Agreement &/or Disagreement)
- Visual <--> Auditory <--> Kino (Primary sensory system)
- Introvert <--> Extrovert (Attention orientation)
- Sorts by People / Things / Dates / Faces / Emotions / Time (Sorting Methods)
- Abundance <--> Scarcity (Generosity vs Miser behavior, & Abundance/Scarcity patterns)
- Towards Pos or Neg Necessity <--> Towards Pos or Neg Possibility (Modal Operators & sequences)
- Direct Communication <--> Indirect Communication (Influence Style)
- And others...
Now I can identify some of these nonverbally just by observing people's behavior. For others, I require some time listening to how they speak. Or I require some time conversing with them & cataloguing their responses.
The hardest thing to do initially when learning how to elicit peoples' metaprograms-- was learning how to DISCARD these measurements as less-than-accurate, in any other context other than the one in which they had been elicited, or even in the same context if a lot of time had gone by since they'd been elicited. In other words, I'd initially hoped to rely on the information in every other context, or for "too long" into the future. But eventually one gets good enough at doing this quickly & easily, and the desire to 'save time/effort' and rely on old information becomes less relevant & attractive.
Inbox Insights
- Knowledge Engineering (& Belief Craft) have evolved, into GeniusMapping™
- As of September 2020, we're in the process of moving from Tampa, Florida, to the Youngstown Ohio area. Currently, during the Coronavirus era, we're mostly focusing on Zoom-based Coaching, and aligning resources to run online courses.
- How "Civil Engineering" totally reframes the word "Stress," redefines the phrase "Stress Management," and leads us to embrace Stress!
- Many NLP Practitioners are more sloppy with their thinking patterns, than they'd like to admit, or... would even notice.
- Watch NLP Co-Founder Richard Bandler use NLP to eliminate Michael Strahan's phobic response to snakes -- in minutes (with Kelly Ripa bringing over a BIG snake at the end to test Michael's response). Spoiler alert: It worked ridiculously well.
- No matter what skill you want to learn, no matter what fears or concerns or hesitation you may have, there are and will always be a wide range of approaches, to learning that skill. It's important to keep that in mind when making learning choices.
- Many more famous people have been trained in Ericksonian (indirect) Hypnosis and NLP than you might guess. There are certainly far more who have strong interests here than have publically admitted so.
- On January 1, 2015, Jonathan Altfeld and 20 other co-authors released a digital book entitled "Creating Business Growth."
- What are the Four Stages of Learning?
- Robert BradfordAuthor & CEO, CSSP, Ann Arbor, MIHired Training : Bespoke In-house Training
"Jonathan is a superb trainer with a deep understanding of his subject. His work developing the skills of my team has continued to add value over time."
http://cssp.com - Todd BaumgartnerSystems Administrator, Cincinnati, OHAttended Course : NLP Skills-Builders (course)
After attending an NLP seminar with Jonathan Altfeld, I can only use one word to describe it: amazing! Throughout the weekend, I went through a metamorphosis, leaving the cocoon of my former limited self and now knowing that I can accomplish anything I desire. My only limit now is time. I was amazed to have seen some of my limiting beliefs just fade away and snap like delicate threads. Not only did these changes take place during the seminar, but I now have the tools necessary to make other changes to any aspect of my life. I now understand that the only thing holding me back was myself! Seeing Jonathan using the skills he was teaching in real life was also a major plus. He uses everything that he is teaching all of the time. He doesn't give stop until he knows that everyone has learned what they need to know. In the past few days, since the seminar, I have developed more rapport with my family and co-workers. In the past, I would have been in a situation where meeting new people would have scared me immensely, and now, I can't wait to meet new people. My only regret is that I didn't do this sooner. If you are not living life to the fullest, then you owe it to yourself to go to one of his seminars.
1997 
Sara WisemanAuthor of “Writing the Divine,” “Your Psychic Child”, & “The Intuitive Path”, Portland, ORAttended Course : Speaking IngeniouslyVery few can do what Jonathan does! A true master teacher of NLP and inspired public speaking, he takes complex concepts and teaches them in a way so that you not only understand them intellectually, but absorb them at a deeper level. The result? What you’ve learned is there when you need it: with clients, for teaching and presenting, for speaking to audiences of all sizes. Highly recommended!
http://www.sarawiseman.com2011
Andy SmithTrainer of NLP & Appreciative Inquiry, Coaching Leaders, Manchester UK & FranceAttended Course : Belief Craft Seminar"I have attended separate KE & [SoM] trainings in the past, Belief Craft is definitely more than the sum of its parts. Doug's way of training [SoM] is the best I have found; for the first time I now feel I 'get' the "why" as well as the "how" of [SoM]. On my NLP Trainer's Training, [SoM] was one of the areas people had the least recall of - both the 'how' and also when and why you would ever use it. Previous trainings of [SoM] I have attended by other trainers have not sufficiently demonstrated... etc. Jonathan gets better every time he trains KE - awesomely powerful and complex concepts are rendered easy to learn and apply in the real world. I can't wait to start trying out this new material (Belief Craft and/or KE on its own) to benefit myself and my clients."
http://www.coachingleaders.co.uk/2005- Jim BlackPhiladelphia, PAAttended Course : Belief Craft MP3 Set
Out of the many seminars and trainings I've participated in over the years, Belief Craft tops them all. If you make the decision to take this course, you'll not only get everything you wanted, but also things you never imagined."
- Kevin HillNorwich, UKBought Audio : Metaphor Machine CDs
The material is presented clearly and cleanly, the technique is deceptively simple. It seems easy to start using the technique to create useful metaphors immediately, with the exciting prospect that with practice and imagination the same technique is capable of delivering really masterful results. It is completely focused on this one technique, there is no waffle and no distraction from the desired outcome. Jonathan gives the unconscious mind a clear step by step process to understand and then works at embedding the learning unconsciously, and for me this seems to work brilliantly. It seems that when I use the step by step process (the conscious bit) the results at each step "just come to me" (the unconscious bit) and the end result just seems to work. ... Overall, I'm delighted with "The Metaphor Machine". I've got plenty of NLP stuff on my MP3 player that helps me access positive states but this material is sharply focused on one sophisticated and powerful techique and it delivers practical results immediately. By far the best example of NLP training on disc that I've come across so far.
2008 - Mayra RiveraAttorney, Miami, FLAttended Course : NLP Practitioner Training
I recommend Jonathan's NLP Course to anyone who is interested in dramatically improving his or her rapport and communication skills. I am very impressed with Jonathan's quick and practical approach to the questions posed by his students. I have accepted the challenge to continue practicing these skills in the future, and strive to achieve Jonathan's elegance and mastery.
1998 - Joseph KaoLondon, UKAttended Course : Knowledge Engineering
Everything I’ve bought from Jonathan invites you to stretch yourself, or as Jonathan puts it, to be aggressive with your learning. And when you do the exercises and actively engage with the material, you’ll find there are few products on the market that produce as great an impact in your skill development as Jonathan’s do. Jonathan and Doug’s new Belief Craft MP3s are a thorough grounding in two skill-sets: Knowledge Engineering (how to track beliefs conversationally), and Sleight of mouth (how to reframe a person’s belief in at least 16 different ways). Once you actually do the exercises – I found that you immediately start to hear far more belief structures in people’s everyday language. My thinking has become more flexible, and I can more fluidly create fresh perspectives for my clients and friends in everyday conversation.
2009 - Michael S.NLP Master Prac & Success Coach, Portland, ORBought Audio : Automatic Yes CD-set
I have ordered Jonathan's programs before and had VERY high expectations for this program… as with his other programs, Jonathan, *yet again*, delivers not only through his insight into how the mind works, but through the exercises that put you into *immediate action*. I found myself, as I was listening, being able to notice how my own states link together and how I had gotten stuck in the past. I feel like Jonathan has handed me the keys to move beyond where I had been -- by noticing how to sequence your communication to get results. It's incredibly easy when you know how to do it. And Jonathan has the know-how and experience to be able to teach the topics that other trainers won't touch. Because if you're like me, you may have taken practitioner and master practitioner courses… maybe from VERY well known trainers… and have yet to see a trainer who directly approaches the topic of state-chaining. What puts "Creating the Automatic YES" and Jonathan's other audio programs ahead of the pack is that he gives you exercises to do throughout the program and he has the knowledge and experience so the skills will be ingrained not only your mind but in your body where they NEED to be to get results -- easily. I have found myself noticing which state people are in as I'm talking to them and where to take them to get outcomes easily. My own confidence as a coach has grown considerably in my ability to influence my own state in VERY useful directions through listening to this audio program… that alone was worth the cost of admission. If *you're interested* in another rigorous, intellectual NLP experience… BAD NEWS… But by doing the exercises Jonathan suggests (or was it demands?), you're in for a real treat by ordering this program! My highest recommendation - THANK YOU!!
2009 - Nick FortuneIT Consultant, London, UKAttended Course : Knowledge Engineering
The real topic of the seminar is modeling. Modeling is arguably the heart of NLP &, until now, a subject that has been pretty much opaque to me. No longer. Jonathan melds techniques from the world of computing with meta modeling to produce a solid methodical approach to the subject, which is uniquely his own. [...] We had a lot of fun, we learned a lot, & most important, what we learned was useful & obvious in its application. If you get a chance to attend one of these events, do it!
1998