Exploring strategies / Eliciting strategies (Elicitation of Strategies)
Definition
Exploring or Eliciting Strategies in NLP, refers to the process of making visible the sequence of activation of representational systems (visual, auditory, kinaesthetic, etc.) and their subproperties within a strategy. This process – also referred to as Evocation – serves to recognize the formal structure of a strategy in order to analyze, optimize, or change it. In doing so, linguistic patterns, eye movements, access notes and targeted questions are used to precisely capture the mental process.
Origins and Theoretical Background
The concept of strategy elicitation was developed by Robert Dilts and other co-founders of NLP. It is based on the assumption that mental processes are structured by recurring sequences of representations The underlying theoretical model is the TOTE Model (Test – Operate – Test – Exit), which comes from cybernetics and describes how people process internal and external stimuli in test and action cycles The goal of strategy elicitation is to make these internal processes transparent, so that they can be specifically changed or modeled.
Application Examples
- Decision strategies: A person says: “I looked at your proposal, thought about it, and then decided that it feels good.” → visually remembered → internally auditory → kinesthetic
- Learning strategies: “I imagined the task, wrote it down, and then checked if it looks right.” → visually constructed → kinesthetic → visually remembered
- Motivation strategies: “I imagine the victory, remember past successes, and that gives me the drive to train.” → visually constructed → visually remembered → kinesthetic
Areas of Application
- Coaching: Analysis and optimization of decision, motivation, and learning strategies.
- Therapy: Identification of hindering mental processes that maintain fears or blockages.
- Learning and training processes: Development of effective strategies for the acquisition and application of knowledge.
- Leadership Training: Improvement of problem-solving and decision-making processes in complex situations.
Methods and Exercises
- Pay attention to the language: Analyze the used Predicates (e.g., see, hear, feel) and their order. Example: “I looked at your report, thought about it, and felt that it was good.” → visually remembered → internally auditory → kinesthetic.
- Observing eye movements: Note the directions of gaze, as they provide clues to the activated representational system. (e.g., gaze upward = visual, gaze sideways = auditory, gaze downward = kinesthetic or inner dialogue).
- Perceive access cues: Observe gestures, breathing, body posture, or voice modulation – they often reflect unconscious cognitive processes.
- Targeted questioning: Guide the person through the process of their inner strategy, for example, by asking questions like:
- “What did you do first?”
- “What did you think or feel afterwards?”
- “How did you know that your decision was right?”
Synonyms or Related Terms
- Strategy analysis
- Process modeling
- Evocation of strategies
Distinction
In contrast to the Change or installation of strategies focuses on the strategy elicitation exclusively on the recognition and visualization of the existing structure, without directly influencing them. It forms the basis for all further NLP interventions that are based on strategic work.
Scientific or Practical Benefit
- Individually: Making strategies conscious promotes self-reflection and enables targeted changes in thinking and action.
- Practically: The analysis of strategies increases efficiency and effectiveness, as it provides precise points of approach for optimizations.
- Scientifically: The method is oriented towards the TOTE Model and concepts of cognitive psychology, which understand mental sequences as the basis of human behavior.
Criticism or Limitations
- Scientific validation: The method is primarily based on observations and subjective interpretations, which limits its empirical foundation.
- User dependency: The quality of elicitation strongly depends on the experience, sensitivity, and questioning technique of the user.
Literature and References
- Dilts, R. (1994). Strategies of Genius I. Meta Publications, Santa Cruz.
- Weerth, M. (1994). NLP: Structure and Practice. Hogrefe, Göttingen.
- Mohl, A. (1993). NLP in practice. Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen.
Metaphor or Analogy
Exploring a strategy is like unraveling a ball of yarn
Each thread represents a single step in the thinking or decision-making process. If you carefully follow the threads, the hidden structure becomes visible – you recognize, how the thoughts are interconnected and where they might get tangled. This allows for a clear tracing of the path from the first perception to the action.
