Ethical Influence Coffee And Cake

I spent Tuesday with a very good friend, someone I have know since those balmy university days. We went to Costa's and we drank good coffee and I grazed on several pieces of good chocolate cake. As we spoke the subject of ethics wriggled up from its can which was catalytic in a very good conversation.

Some years ago I attended a training of one of the very well know NLP names. It seemed a good "investment "for a 5 day course. After I arrived and over the five days I discovered the sponsor has all the personality of an egg and lurked around alot. The 'assistants' seemed to have missed out the concept of rapport and more often than not intruded into personal space. However most disappointing was the 'big NLP name' simple regurgitated the contents of their book almost verbatim and 95% of the accompanying stories offered were indeed from the so mentioned book.

I recommend the book to practically everyone, I recommend the course to no-one.

Towards the end of the course the participants were 'offered the special opportunity' ( I love that ) to go to the presenters home country and do an advanced course for something like 8000 dollars. Those interested were to convene in the dining room.

I happened to be there and with my very large ears listened in from across the room. The presenter went round to each prospect in turn and and applied their trade, eliciting motivations, expectations and all that from the prospective advanced students. And then proceeded to 'sell' them the course feeding back their own words, values and motivations. An expert at "work".

It would seem that both parties, the prospective advanced students and the presenter got what they wanted. A seeming dove tail of service meeting requirements.

As I recounted this story sipping more coffee, I asked my friend, what the presenter did, "WHAT ARE YOU THOUGHTS ON THIS AS ETHICAL BEHAVIOUR? "

I still have very mixed reactions to this event, yet, it also continues to serve as an excellent demonstration of what I regard as highly unethical. Those of you who have seen the BBC's ROME will know that Titus Pullo kept the unscrupled Memio in a cage as a similar reminder.

At an intellectual level ( hmmmm ), analysing what happened, all parties would seem to have got what they wanted; albeit having had it installed to a very large extent in the potential advanced students. I am sure those advanced students would have had their values and motivations met

happy pondering

"nigel hetherington"

Communicating Excellence

"Excellence in Neuro Linguistic Programming and Clinical Hypnotherapy"

Credit: womanizer-psychology.blogspot.com