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Meta Model
Take it in turns to read out the problem statement and respond using the specific Meta
Model structure indicated. Each structure will be demonstrated first.

Unspecified Nouns
Example ‘I want a change’
Response ‘What change, specifically’?

I want a change I’m enjoying this

It’s terrible I have lots of skills

Meet you at the pub I want a computer

I want the report tomorrow I’m putting you down for a course

I need it now We need this done today

I need the report Get me a sandwich

Talk to the customer I need a new car

Get the problem fixed I read it in a magazine

Unspecified Verbs
Example ‘She rejected me’
Response ‘How exactly did she reject you?’
He did it He made her leave

I calmed the customer down My boss ruined me

I’ve taken the heat out of the situation I did a great piece of work

I’ve seen the writing on the wall They get on really well

He’s running the department badly I like him

This company is going places She always falls

I told him, now he should do it properly I’m running on empty

At least he tries Let’s go!

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Nominalisation
Example ‘I want recognition’
Response ‘How do you want to be recognised’

We have made our decision Your work needs more attention

I have a bad feeling I want more choice

There’s no relationship We had a great meeting

Failure worries me I want publicity

Our customers have no patience Sales doesn’t work

He makes a bad impression Marketing doesn’t work

We need better management Manufacturing has no future

I want more direction Decisions are always hard

Lack of Referential Index

Example ‘They don’t rate me’
Response ‘Who, specifically doesn’t rate you?’
Response ‘According to who?’

The writings on the wall People are stupid

They should know better It needs to be done properly

People make mistake Those people need to be disciplined

Those products are expensive One knows what’s best

This happens everyday If you learn NLP you will become very
rich

We shouldn’t do that It’s either them or us

You must turn your mobile off in the office We’re all going to be made redundant

They say you should do more exercise If you can’t beat them……
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Simple Deletion
Example ‘I’m unhappy’, Response ‘unhappy about what?’

You can’t Help me

I’m fed up I’m sad

We can manage I just can’t start

He is wrong It’s perfect

I know It’s all wrong

I feel curious I don’t want to

Never again He can’t

You must not do that Stop it

Comparative Deletions
Example ‘Our new product is more effective’
Response ‘More effective than what?’
Response ‘More effective than when?’

It’s for the greater good He’s more sensitive

NLP is better She goes further

This is far more efficient You look happier

Hard beds are better He’s more tolerant

She’s much brighter This is more complicated

This is more like it Green is calmer

She’s more fun This is getting much easier

Blue is better I’m enjoying this so mush more

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Complex equivalence
Example ‘He’s silent…..He doesn’t like what I’ve done’
Response ‘How do you know that his silence means he doesn’t like what you’ve done’

A good relationship means never having to When you talk like that, I know you
say sorry don’t mean it

To stay in this job, I have to work harder He wears the same colour shirt as the
boss: that means he’s in for promotion
You can’t have a well-paid job that is
enjoyable too I saw them down the pub together; they
must be having an affair
You can’t trust salespeople
This is the only way
Marketing is an easy job
He doesn’t know what I want because he
If you want success you have to give up your doesn’t care about me
home life
She goes down to the gym so she must
That means trouble be healthy

He came in late on Saturday. I’m going to

have to fire him

Lost performance
Example ‘it’s disaster to be made redundant’
Response ‘Who is being made redundant’
Response ‘Who is saying it’s a disaster?’
People make mistake Managers are overpaid

They should have seen it coming People like people who are like them

They’re always doing that People learn from people who are different

This report needs finishing Learning NLP will make you more successful

A meeting was held This needs fixing

Mistakes have been made This report needs finishing

Nobody is pulling their weight A meeting has already been held about this

People are more flexible these days They’ve been at it again

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Mind reading
Example ‘you don’t rate me’
Response ‘How do know that I don’t rate you?’
Response ‘what leads you to believe that?’

I know you don’t believe me She’s really happy now

He doesn’t want to help me He’ll laugh at this

You just don’t care They will think I’m stupid if I do that

He’s ever so happy He’ll be upset if you disturb him

My boss thinks I’m lazy He’ll get upset if you leave early

He’ll hate you if you do that When I present, everyone is judging me

The boss is in a foul mood today You can see how effective NLP is

You know this isn’t working I know you’re enjoying this

Cause and effect

Example ‘He makes me cringe just by speaking’
Response ‘How does he make you cringe?’
Response ‘How you make yourself cringe when he speaks?’
Because of you I feel worthless They restrict my enthusiasm

This exercise will inspire me I can’t relax without music

I’m unhappy when he goes away If you want success you have to give up
your home life
If I stay in this job I have to work harder
We can’t do that because it won’t listen
If you want a pay rise you have to stay late
If I do the presentation it will go badly
If I do that I’ll get into trouble
There’s no point trying, he won’t listen
My boss makes me angry
I won’t apply, they’ll never give me the job
If you do that I’ll leave
Things always go wrong when she walks in
I feel tense as soon as speaks here
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Presuppositions
Example ‘What are we going to do next?’
Response ‘How do you know we’re doing something next?’
Response ‘What makes you think we’re doing something next?’
When this plan falls I’ll say ‘told you so’ I’ll be so happy when he gets found out

It will be easier when he leaves I can’t go for lunch with you because I’m
going to a customer meeting
What will the next reorganization bring?
I can’t go home – my boss won’t like it
When are you leaving?
I can’t learn to use this properly because I
Who are you going to fire next? don’t have enough time

You’ll enjoy it once you do it What’s going to go wrong next?

Once you make a start, you’ll find it easy I’m just waiting for a bus

We can’t buy a car because we don’t have We won’t be late – we can get a taxi
any cash
I’ll be happy when this is all over

Universal Quantifiers
Example ‘He never listens to me’
Response ‘Never?’
Response ‘was there ever a time when he did?’
Nobody likes me He always tells the truth

All companies are greedy No one cares any more

It’s always the honest people that love Nobody is having any fun these days

Nothings the same anymore All the competition exaggerates

Nothing works here I’ll never be able to get fit

Everybody’s talking about it They always have an excuse

American’s can express themselves Everybody works too hard

Salespeople can’t be trusted NLP practitioners are always healthy

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Modal Operator of Necessity

Example ‘I have to take care of her’
Response ‘What happens if you don’t?’

We shouldn’t do that You must get that work done to day

You have to get a good education I mustn’t leave yet

You must arrive on time You need an action plan

You’ve got to laugh You have to listen to the boss

I must get a new car You ought to be more careful

You always have to be dressed smartly You shouldn’t talk to that customer
without asking me first
You must be polite to the boss
This project must not fail
We have to get a break from work
You mustn’t

Modal Operator of Possibility

Example ‘I can’t tell the truth’
Response ‘What would happen if you did?’
Response ‘What stops you?’
Response ‘How do you stop yourself?’
I can’t go there now I can’t relax

I can’t ring that customer I’ll never be to able to learn this

I won’t be able to complete that on time I can’t sleep

I can’t apply for that job I couldn’t possibly tell you

I might not finish that report on time I couldn’t ask for a pay rise

I can’t imagine that I can’t concentrate on work at the moment

I might just tell him that I couldn’t fire her

I could do it if I tried I might do what he says

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NLP Meta model (Short version)

Metamodel Questions Use them to:

Specify information.
Clarify information.
Open up a person’s model of the world.

The Questions

How? Who? What? When? Where? (Very occasionally Why? – What’s the purpose)
Who specifically? Who says? According to Whom?
Everybody? Always? Never? Nobody? Nothing? All? No one?
What do you mean by that?
Compared to whom? Compared to what?

How do you know? What stops you? How do you stop yourself? What would happen if you
could? What would happen if you did? What will happen when you do? What would happen
if you didn’t?
Tell me more….
What does that mean…
And….