Sometimes I wonder if the human condition is simply too diverse to really understand. Sure we have the models of NLP to help us through our day, that is if we know them. In my field I meet so many people I think I forget when I should or shouldn’t use NLP. It all seems a bit bewildering I’ll admit, but I never stop trying.

Anyway, on to what I really want to talk about today…….

One of the things that fascinates me about people is the way in which we filter and store information in our brains. Everyone has their own learned way of identifying what is most important to them and storing it for later recall. In the book, Figuring people out by Michael Hall & Bob Bodenhamer they talk about this very idea. How people sort, process and store information.

Inductive Thinkers

Do you need all the details of a situation before you can make a firm decision on what you believe? Do you see the trees and not the forest? For me, I am a very detail oriented person. I need lots of information before I come to a conclusion about anything. So I may just be the kind of person who needs lots of chunks of information, each building a more solid foundation for what I eventually believe if true, for me.

Deductive Thinkers

Do you think in generalities? Are you the kind of person who just “goes with the flow”? There are lots of people who only need a little bit of information and then they can quickly deduce what is happening in any given situation. You might say these people have a more global view of things. Thinking in these terms may lead a person to see the forest but not the trees.

I find in my own case and you may as well, that we sometimes shift from one frame of mind to another depending on the situation we find ourselves in. Or should I say, we shift one sorting style to another depending on the situation we find ourselves in. This is what makes NLP so tricky because just as soon as you think you’ve got a handle on how someone is processing information, they may change sorting styles unconsciously.

Something to think about

The next time you find yourself in a situation where you may feel like you “lost” your connection with someone, think about how that person might be taking in the information you are giving them. How are they sorting? Do they seem to need more details? Are they asking lots of questions? Or are they content with an overall view of the situation.