Goal Setting - Does it Work?

Few people in the personal or business development field would argue that goal setting is not fundamental to the process.

But what evidence is there that goal setting works?

Many people cite the Yale Goal setting study and it appears in many books about personal and business development by such eminent gurus as Zig Zigler and Tony Robbins.

The study, as it appears in many of the books goes like this:

In 1953, researchers surveyed Yale's graduating seniors to determine how many of them had specific, written goals for their future. The answer: 3%. Twenty years later, researchers polled the surviving members of the Class of 1953 - and found that the 3% with goals had accumulated more personal financial wealth than the other 97% of the class combined!

What a fantastic study, it demonstrates that goal setting really works.  The problem is, it never actually happened!

The Consultant Debunking Unit at Fast Company Magazine looked into the study and found that it never took place.  To read their results follow:

http://pf.fastcompany.com/magazine/06/cdu.html

So is there any evidence that goal setting works?

Yes, and the evidence comes from Neurological research.

I often talk about "New Car Syndrome" - Have you ever bought a new car and then suddenly noticed lots of the same car that you bought?  Somebody told me recently that when they were pregnant, it seemed that the whole world was pregnant too!  Obviously this wasn't true, but she was more aware of the other people around her who were also pregnant.

Neurologically, the reason for this is that the Reticular Activating System (RAS) acts as a filter for the vast amount of information we experience every second of every day and passes on the most important bits to our cerebral cortex where we can become aware of this information.

The question is, how do we decide which bits are important?  It seems that the things which are important to us - for whatever reason, a new car, the excitement of pregnancy, something we are highly motivated about are the bits of information allowed through by the RAS.

If there is something we really want, the RAS will scan the vast amount of incoming information for clues related to our need.

With effective goal setting, we can programme our RAS so that it is working towards the goals we want.

Have you ever found that, when there is something you really want, you find, coincidentally, someone who can provide that for you? A shop has a sale on, the TV is full of adverts to help you achieve it, or someone in the pub just happens to know someone who can help?

The more effectively you can programme your mind to want to achieve the goal, the more likely you are to achieve it.

You may have come across SMART goals, if you have attended any Management Development Course in the last 20 years you will have been introduced to the process of goal setting using the SMART acronym as a basis.  You may even use SMART goals successfully.

The only problem with SMART goals is that it doesn’t take into account your unconscious thought processes, your deep motivation and the emotional connection with the goal.

There is a process which involves your unconscious and conscious thought processes, your deep motivations and your emotional connection.

We have turned this process, successfully used by NLP Practitioners, Therapists and Coaches into a program downloadable FREE from our website.

Simply go to Achievable Outcomes page fill in your details and the link will be sent to you.  Follow the instructions on screen and off you go.

So, yes, goal setting does work as long as it happens as long as you work with your neurological processes.

Esther Joins evolution

You may have heard a new voice on the phone at evolution recently.

Esther Caulfield has joined us here at the Engine House to look after our growing administrative needs.

Esther's mission in life is to help.  So if you have any questions, comments or general enquiries, give her a ring and she'll do her utmost to help.

Flow

Have you ever been so focused on the job in hand that you cease to be aware of things around you?

Have you ever lost track of time when doing something really interesting?

Many Psychologists call that state the 'Flow' state.

This concept was originally introduced by Psychologist Mihaily Csikszentmihalyi

Flow is so named because during Csikszentmihalyi's 1975 interviews several people described their 'flow' experiences by using the metaphor of a current carrying them along.

Csikszentmihalyi is a Psychology professor at Claremont Graduate University in Claremont, California and is the former head of the department of psychology at the University of Chicago. He is noted for his work in the study of Happiness, Creativity and Subjective Well-being. Martin Seligman, former president of the American Psychological Association, described Csikszentmihalyi as the world's leading researcher on Positive Psychology.

Although Csikszentmihalyi brought the concept to Western Psychology, he acknowledges that he was not the first to describe the concept of flow.

Buddhists talk about 'Mindfulness'

Mindfulness is a technique in which a person becomes intentionally aware of his or her thoughts and actions in the present moment, non-judgmentally. It plays a central role in Buddhism, with Right Mindfulness being the seventh element of Noble Eightfold Path, the practice of which is considered a prerequisite for developing insight and wisdom.

The concept of "being in the zone" during an athletic or dramatic performance fits within Csikszentmihalyi's description of the Flow experience, and theories and applications of "being in the zone" and its relationship with competitive advantage in sport are topics studied in the field of Sport Psychology.

The legendary soccer player Pele described his experience of being in the zone: "I felt a strange calmness. . . a kind of euphoria. I felt I could run all day without tiring, that I could dribble through any of their team or all of them, that I could almost pass through them physically."

In NLP we talk about uptime - that time when we are totally focused on the moment, when all our conscious thought processes are aligned to the job in hand. The more we are in this state, the better our sensory acuity is.

As Csikszentmihalyi sees it, components of an experience of flow can be specifically defined:

1. Clear goals (expectations and rules are discernible).
2. Concentrating and focusing, a high degree of concentration on a limited field of attention. When hurtling towards the back of a car which has unexpectedly stopped, you may become aware of dust on the dashboard, or a crack in the windscreen or lots of other seemingly irrelevant details.
3. A loss of the feeling of self-consciousness, the merging of action and awareness.
4. Distorted sense of time - the subjective experience of time is altered. It can seem that the split second before you brake and miss the car in front lasts for minutes.
5. Direct and immediate feedback (successes and failures in the course of the activity are apparent, so that behaviour can be adjusted as needed).
6. Balance between ability level and challenge (the activity is neither too easy nor too difficult but you may be able to perform at a much higher level than normal).
7. A sense of personal control over the situation or activity.
8. The activity is intrinsically rewarding, so there is an effortlessness of action. When in the flow state, people become absorbed in their activity, and focus of awareness is narrowed down to the activity itself, action and awareness merging.

Not all of the above are needed for flow to be experienced.

The Flow State is a state of optimum intrinsic motivation and Csikszentmihalyi theorises that people are most happy when in a state of flow.

Intrinsic motivation can be influenced by external events (see NLP Communication Model) and Csikszentmihalyi suggests that groups can be influenced towards the flow state by:

• Providing creative spatial arrangements - chairs, flipcharts, whiteboards but no tables. This ensures that the group primarily work standing and moving.
• Safe Place - open and honest communication
• Organised working
• Group focus
• Clear goals
• Visualisation
• Valuing individual differences and seeing these as opportunity, rather than obstacles.

To perform well as a coach or manager (or in any other field) requires a mix of 'unconscious competence' and 'conscious competence'. The 'conscious competence' element of behaviour for a coach or manager is the ability to bring unconscious skills into the conscious and be 'mindful' of everything that happens.

Finding a way to access the Flow State, Mindfulness, Uptime or the Zone, (it doesn't really matter what you call it - it's all the same state) is really going to help you to increase your performance consistently.

Some techniques to help are: Self Hypnosis, Meditation, Yoga, Martial Arts and Anchoring.

Business South West Exhibition 2007

We recently had a stand at the Business South West exhibition at Westpoint, Exeter.

Our overall message was around the importance of communication in realising the potential of individuals and organisations.

The stand generated a lot of interest, we met some interesting people, made some good contacts and generated a lot of leads.

We ran a draw for an ipod shuffle, already loaded with a relaxation and confidence building self-hypnosis session. This was won by Gary Jefferies of Savant Environmental Ltd and we offered a free cd of the same session as compensation to all of the unlucky draw participants.

We also offered a place on a FREE NLP core skills course for anyone who was interested. As you can imagine we were inundated with requests, if you are interested in one of these places click here

Our posters were produced by N3 Display Graphics of Bristol.

They were delivered to our stand for us and were waiting for us when we arrived. We were really pleased with the quality of the posters and service by N3 Display Graphics and they can be found at: www.n3display.co.uk

Business South West is a business to business exhibition which has been running in Exeter for 13 years and attracts around 3,000 visitors per year.

General comment from the exhibitors was that although numbers seemed down this year, the people who did attend were looking for their services. That was certainly our experience and we thought the whole event was well organised and enjoyable. We especially liked the free half days training for first time exhibitors - it really helped us to focus on our stand, purpose and approach to visitors.

Two of our posters from the exhibition

Evolution Sponsor Shirts

Evolution sponsored Truro hockey Club's Fourth team shirts this season. The Fourth Team squad of 21 were presented with a set of shirts resplendent with the evolution logo by Martin Crump (who plays for Truro's Third Team) in October 2007.

Truro Hockey Club is the premier hockey club in Cornwall.

Boasting 4 mens, 2 ladies teams and numerous mixed and touring sides. There is a game to suit all ages and abilities. Truro also has the one of the largest Junior Hockey Clubs in the South West.

The men's 1st team play in West Premier 2 and the men's 2nds play in South Division 1 whilst the 3rd's and 4th's play a more relaxed yet still competitive level in the South West District divisions.

The Truro Ladies 1st team were promoted last year and play in Trelawney 1 and the 2nd XI are going to be playing their obligatory 1st season as a friendly side before moving into the league system next season.

For more information on the club visit: www.trurohockey.co.uk

Fifteen Cornwall Graduation

We were really pleased recently to be invited to the graduation ceremony for the first cohort of trainees from Fifteen Cornwall.

Held in the temperate biome at the Eden Project, the graduation was a fantastic celebration of the hard work put in by the members of Cornwall's Foundation of Promise, the Trainers and Staff at Fifteen Cornwall and especially by the Trainees who all looked really pleased to be congratulated by Jamie Oliver.

Watched by proud parents and colleagues they each had a short film shown about them and their journey from all kinds of difficult backgrounds to their successful graduation.

We feel really privileged to have contributed in a small way to their success and to the continued success of the Restaurant.

We worked with The Foundation of Promise last year to help them review and develop their strategy for the next 5 years. We spent an energised and very enjoyable day with over 30 members of the Trust and Delivery Team in the Engine House and helped them develop pages and pages of ideas and a plan for the future.

We also trained Fifteen's Chefs as Trainers. They are in the very difficult position of training the trainees in all aspects of the job at the same time as running an extremely busy, commercial kitchen so developing their training skills has helped them to improve their ability to pass on their extensive skills and knowledge. It was great to work with such passionate, keen people and we hope they will continue to develop this passion with trainees for a long time. The next cohort of trainees was at the Eden Project supplying the guests with fantastic canapés and I'm sure that watching the first cohort graduate was a really motivating experience for them.

Invest In Your Team and Pocket the Change

Resent research into the effectiveness of training made a number of interesting conclusions about the planned outcomes of training.

There is a difference between the expectations of Employers and Employees when investing in, and undertaking training.

Employers invest in training to increase the specific skills and performance of their Employees.

Employees undertake training to increase their skills, but also value qualifications.

It can be very difficult to meet both these needs. To just meet the needs of the Employer involves careful design and delivery of the development programme to ensure that the specific objectives are met and that the delegates develop the specific skills required by the organisation.  Many training providers are skilled and experienced at meeting the needs of the client in this way.

Evolution have been doing just this for clients across the UK for over 10 years.
On the other hand, meeting the needs of the Employee in terms of qualifications, especially transferable, Nationally recognised qualifications has traditionally required them undertaking generic training provision to meet the needs of the Awarding Body.  Often, this means that the training does not meet all the specific needs of the organisation and so is not necessarily cost effective.

For this reason Evolution have applied for, and been awarded an Investing in Quality Licence from the NCFE.

This means that we can design and deliver bespoke courses for organisations which meet their needs in terms of Employee skills development.  These courses are also accredited by the NCFE which means that Employees are awarded  Nationally recognised qualification in the National Qualification Framework (NQF).  A real 'win/win'.

For example, we have designed, delivered and evaluated programmes for Imerys, accredited by the NCFE in areas including Train the Trainer and Management Development.

92 Employees have been awarded a Level 2 NQF in Trainer training and 23 so far have achieved a level 3 as a result of successfully completing the Introduction to Management Programme.

Nik Green, Imerys Learning and Development Specialist said, “We could have gone down the ILM First Line Management course route but we chose not to and the Intro to Management course that we designed with Evolution is far superior to the ILM course and has resulted in some very real and tangible improvements to the way that we manage our people.”

We also designed and delivered a Train the Trainer course for Fifteen Cornwall, which was substantially different to the Imerys course yet delegates  were still awarded a level 2 NQF qualification.

Our NLP courses are also accredited by the NCFE at level 4 and we are currently running and developing a number of programmes for clients in specific areas.

For further information on how we can help you achieve the win/win of specific skills and Nationally recognised qualifications contact us at info@evolution-development.com

For further information about the Investing in Quality Licence visit:
www.ncfe.org.uk

Mirror Neurons and Rapport

A group of Neuroscience researchers working in Parma were studying monkeys' Motor Neurons.  These particular Neurons fired whenever the monkeys reached for a peanut.  They were wired up to recording equipment so that, whenever the Neurons fired, the equipment made a sound .

One morning, a scientist came into the lab and the monkey was sitting, not doing anything, just watching the peanuts.  When the scientist moved a peanut, the recording equipment made the same sound as when the Monkey picked the peanut up.  The monkey hadn't moved, and the scientist was not wired into the recording equipment.

The same Neuron fired in the Monkey's brain whether he had moved, or he had seen the same movement.

What was surprising was that this single Neuron, involved in motor planning in the monkey was also interested in the movements of others.

Some people call these Neurons “Monkey see Monkey do” Neurons, but the name which seems to have stuck is “mirror neurons” because with them, the brain seems to mirror what it sees.

Further research showed that this effect is not restricted to monkeys, it happens in humans too.

That's why sports fans tense with the action, wince and leap.  If you know the game, your neurons are firing as you watch it.

Professor Marco Iacoboni thinks that mirror neurons tie us not only to other people's actions, but to their emotions as well.

MRI scan research showed that people reacted to 'happy' faces by mirroring brain activity both in the facial expression and the emotion - even if they were not physically copying the face.  When they physically matched the facial expression, the feeling intensified.

In NLP we talk about matching behaviour to build rapport and develop empathy with other people.  This research seems to confirm the power of this technique.  It almost seems that being in rapport with someone is our 'default' position and being out of rapport is uncomfortable and unnatural.

If we are naturally empathic as this research suggests, do we suppress this ability, or ignore the information with people we have no rapport with?  Perhaps if we really believe that rapport is important, and we relax, we will build rapport with other people naturally and easily. Perhaps also, by consciously matching and mirroring behaviour, we are allowing ourselves to become more aware of the information we usually suppress.  Developing empathy with others, really understanding exactly how someone feels must help us in our interactions with them.

You can watch a 14 minute video about mirror neuron research by following this link: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sciencenow/3204/01.html

The NLP Business Development Group

We'd like to introduce you to the new look NLP Business Development Group.

This group has been running for a while now and has been a really interesting experience.

We have had presentations on a range of topics including Bill Phillips with Futurebasing™ and using Geoffrey Leigh's method of Applying Dilt's Logical levels in Organisations.

We have also had meetings centring around discussions on a specific topic. For example, the last meeting discussed how NLP informs and aids workplace diversity and equality.

A number of people have expressed a real interest in joining the group and participating in the discussions but can't make all of the sessions. We have now decided to record the presentations and discussions and make them available to members as MP3 downloads.

This, coupled with the new forum on our website which is only available to approved members, means you can take part in developing NLP in a business environment and increase your own knowledge even if you can't attend.

We are currently designing a series of Continuing Development Workshops on specific subjects such as NLP and Training, NLP and Sales, NLP in Health Care and NLP in the Public Sector. These are one day workshops designed to help you build on your skills and knowledge and apply these in specific area.

Business Development Group Members get discounted rates for these Workshops.

There will initially be a group meeting in the North West, and another in the South West. We hope to increase the number of locations of meetings in time.

What Does it Cost?

Membership of the Business Development Group which includes: Access to the Forum, attendance at any or all of the quarterly meetings and discounted Continuing Development Workshops costs £10 plus VAT per month, payable by Standing Order.

Jamie Meets Fiona!
Evolution work with Fifteen Cornwall and the Cornwall Foundation of Promise

Fiona attended the Fifteen Cornwall Restaurant Launch Party, following which we worked with the Trustees of Cornwall Foundation of Promise.

The Foundation had successfully launched fifteen Cornwall, providing exciting and real opportunities for disadvantaged young people who are interested in a career in the Hospitality and Catering Industry.

Following the Launch, the Foundation had an opportunity to look at the future, and decide their strategy for the next 5 years.

We facilitated a Strategic Planning day for the Foundation that was split into two key sections. The morning saw 27 people working together to brainstorm possible ways forward. In the afternoon, the Trustees looked at turning these ideas into a Strategic Plan.

It was a very interesting day which showed us just how flexible The Engine House could be.

Mark Scothern from 15 Cornwall said, "we were very pleased with the help they gave us. They created a framework that promoted creative thinking and positive debate around our future strategy"

Since the day with 15, various other organisations have used evolution and the Engine House to help facilitate team development and Strategic Planning.

Fifteen Cornwall and the Foundation of Promise Strategic Planning photos:

Evolution Achieve Investing in Quality Licence

We were recently awarded an Investing in Quality Licence from the NCFE.

The Investing in Quality Licence is designed to give formal recognition to an organisation's customised learning and training provision. This means that we can give nationally recognised Certificates of Achievement for all of our assessed courses, and Certificates of Attendance for all of our non-assessed courses.

The NCFE is one of the UK's fastest growing awarding bodies and information about them can be found at: www.ncfe.org.uk

As a provider of Personal and Corporate Development services we work hard to develop programmes to meet a client's specific needs, rather than try to fit them into nationally recognised qualifications.

We are really pleased to have obtained this Licence that guarantees that all of our courses and development intervention meet the NCFE's Quality Standards.

Customers will notice the same high quality of the courses and coaching they receive, and as an added validation delegates, will receive certificates endorsed by the NCFE.

NLP Training for GPs

Martin recently completed NLP Practitioner training for 15 South Stoke PCT GPs and Dentists at the Donna Louise Centre in Stafford.

The programme was organised by Ruth Chambers of Stafford University as part of the continuing development of GPs and Dentists in the area.

Feedback from the delegates was excellent. Everyone had to complete a 'reflective document' as part of their assessment and some of these can be viewed in the forum under the Donna Louise heading. Delegates also had anecdotal evidence of their improvement in performance. One GP received two bottles of whisky from grateful patients after consultations, saying that it was "the first time I've ever really been listened to by a Doctor" Another said that the number of spontaneous handshakes from patients at the end of consultations had dramatically increased following the course. A third felt her new found rapport with patients and her improved communication skills made her able to avoid prescribing antidepressants in at least two cases.

The purpose of the course was to help improve and enhance the skills GPs already have in building rapport, challenging the meaning in language used by patients, helping patients to set meaningful goals and strategies to improve their health and using language and metaphors to work at an unconscious level with patients.

This was the first programme Martin had undertaken purely for clinicians and it proved to be an extremely interesting one.

Martin said: "I was very excited at the opportunity to work with the Doctors on this course. It proved that NLP tools and techniques are valuable to everyone, and it felt really good to be able to help make a difference for so many people, as the Doctors improve the way they help their patients"

We are looking forward to working with more Health Professionals in the future.

The course was accredited by the UK Academy of Therapeutic Arts and Sciences and by the NCFE, who awarded it an NVQ level 4 equivalence.

Engine House Launch

We held an event to mark the launch of our fantastic new offices in December 2005.

Martin, and Toby (from uknetweb) abseiled off the balcony in their suits to unfurl a banner showing the logos of both businesses. we share the building with uknetweb who provide all aspects of web based business services (including this website).

Over 60 people attended the event during the afternoon which, as well as the abseiling featured music from Joe Francis, a fantastic buffet and lots of wine and beer from local brewer Skinners.

Most of the attendees also enjoyed flying the remote controlled Airships around the rafters of the Conference Room and Matthew Taylor MP became quite adept at the "rafters airship slalom".

We used the event as a way of celebrating our moving into the building which we see as a real iconic connection between Cornwall's industrial past and our role in helping organisations in both Cornwall and elsewhere to develop, grow and succeed in the future.

Academic Success

Fiona Crump, Personal Development Director has completed a degree in Psychology.

She achieved a BSc (Hons) in Psychology (first class). She was also awarded The School of Psychology prize for the best overall performance in stage 2, the School of Psychology prize for best overall performance in stage 3, The Applied Psychology Project Prize and the British Psychological Society prize for Undergraduate of the Year.

She is currently studying for a Doctor of Philosphy, expanding the research she carried out into Work Life Balance for her BSc (Hons) project.

Fiona showed incredible resilience and commitment by achieving these awards whilst still Managing and Developing the Personal Development strand of evolution. Her research will help evolution to continue to provide cutting edge development solutions to individuals and organisations.

North West Master Practitioner group show off their artistic skills when capturing their learning from the course

Announcing The NLP
Business Development Group

What is it for?

The Group's purpose is to develop NLP Tools and Techniques in a Business context.

A large number of NLP Practitioner's are using their skills in the business environment and are, individually, adapting, changing and enhancing the processes and concepts they have learned to improve the performance of both individuals and organisations.

Modelling is at the core of NLP and, as a Trainer, I have often heard delegates say that it would be useful for Business Practitioners to have the opportunity to model other successful Practitioners.

Although NLP Practice Groups exist around the UK, we thought it would be useful to have a group specifically aimed at Business Practitioners, and to use that group not only to develop and model individual skills and processes, but to develop new ways of using NLP in a business context.

How does it work?

We meet on a quarterly basis in an evening. The meeting centres around a presentation by someone who uses NLP consistently in a business context. The presentation takes one aspect of the presenter's work and focuses on what NLP tools and techniques used, how they are used, what adaptations have been made and what outcomes are achieved.

We have a website forum which can be used to share information, ask questions and propose ideas. This forum is only accessible to development Group members.

We will also introduce a regular Newsletter to keep members up to date with developments.

Who Joins?

We have members who are Practitioners from a wide range of backgrounds and occupations. There are Professional Coaches, Trainers, Sales Managers, Health Practitioners, Business Owners, Directors and Manufacturing Managers.

What Does it Cost?

The more members we have, the greater (ie more expensive) the calibre of presenters we can have. There is, therefore, a monthly fee of £10.00 plus VAT payable by standing order.

How can I Find out More, or Join?

email: martin@evolution-development.com

Leadership Programme for
Carn Brea Leisure Centre

This is a 12 month Leadership Development programme for Carn brea Leisure Centre.

This programme take the form of half day quarterly workshops. Each workshop is followed by a programme of weekly tasks for delegates. The following workshop includes feedback from the delegates in the form of a presentation based around a poster which they each design, produce and bring to the workshop.

Below are Delegates' posters from the first two workshops and follow up work. The first session focuses on Leadership, the second on Motivation and Delegation. Watch out for the Communication and Influencing Skills feedback in October.

Session 1 - Leadership
Session 2 - Motivation and Delegation

NLP Business Practitioner and Master Practitioner Accreditation

There are many awarding bodies in the NLP world, and this often causes confusion. We are often asked who accredits our courses and how that accreditation differs from other awarding bodies.

To avoid this confusion, we decided to work towards and obtain accreditation through a national framework, to award a qualification which would be immediately recognisable by people outside the NLP field, as well as within it.

We are now pleased to announce that our NLP courses are accredited through the UK Academy of Therapeutic Arts and Sciences, and through the NCFE, and are accredited as Level 4 NVQ equivalents.

For further information on these awarding bodies, visit

•  www.ukacademy.org.uk
•  www.ncfe.org.uk

This article appeared in the West Briton on the 31st March and showed some of the latest group of NLP Business Practitioner delegates.

To read this article visit www.westbriton.co.uk and search for "psychotherapy nlp"

The latest group of NLP Business Master Practitioners:

This group qualified in March and are photographed at Ye Olde Vicarage Hotel in Holmes Chapel Cheshire.

These images show how the latest North West NLP Business Practitioner delegates captured their learning as part of the their review before the final assessment