Interview with David Chard. NLP Taipei, Taiwan, China.
Professional trainer David Chard is Executive Chairman Taiwan and Regional Director of Asia-Pacific Edelman Academy for Edelman, the world’s largest independent public relations firm.
Who was the trainer?
Steve Boyley, our trainer, did a masterful job of guiding us through the NLP Practitioner learning experience. He was totally committed to having each of us learn what we needed to learn and to helping us with individual coaching and feedback.
What outcomes can you now reach that you couldn’t before?
Since the NLP training I have improved my relationship with my wife and son as well as my colleagues in the office. I am able to experience myself differently as I am more consciously aware of how I am modeling the world and increasingly able to notice how others are representing reality to themselves. I continue to deepen my study of the NLP distinctions and I am able to apply them to situations such as coaching and therapy. I am well on my way to developing mastery in hypnosis as well. Since the course, I find that I literally cannot stop learning. I am reading lots of NLP books, listening to CD’s and watching videos to learn more and build mastery. I feel that it’s a credit to Steve’s mastery as a trainer that I continue to be inspired and focused nearly 4 months after the course.
Can you give examples of situations you’ve been in where you acted differently because of the training?
I have on many occasions been able to notice myself going into “auto-pilot” mode with my emotional reactions and as a result was able to “intervene” by challenging the reality of my belief, replacing it with a different belief, and then moving forward with a different response. A typical example is when my wife says something that irritates me. In the past, my reaction would be “this means she is trying to piss me off, get my goat, make me look bad, etc.” Now I simply notice “she has said something” and tell myself “she has made some vocalizations in an attempt to express how things seem to her……her words are not necessarily “true” and don’t “mean anything” in the absolute sense.” This allows me to disconnect from the auto-pilot and simply attend to her perceptions, avoiding the need to agree or disagree.
At work I am acutely aware of the limiting patterns that occur in the speech and the writing of colleagues and this allows me to respond more consciously and more effectively. For example, I will hear staff saying things like “this always happens” or “she never listens” and I can say “does it ALWAYS happen…has there ever been a time when this doesn’t happen? Or I can say “NEVER? Has there not been a SINGLE time when she listened?” It helps others confront their “stories” about others and helps me to avoid knee-jerk reactions to things that are expressed in distorted ways.
What skills were taught? (An outline of the workshop, major skills learned, etc.)
The course covered all the standard elements of NLP Practitioner training, plus many elements from the Master Practitioner training. For me the coolest things to learn included:
- New Behavior Generator
- Outcome Frame
- Swish Patterns
- The Control Panel (I use mine a lot!)
- Anchoring Techniques
- Milton Model
- Meta-Programs
- Trance Inductions
- Imbedded Commands and other persuasive language patterns
- Re-framing
The best part was Steve’s ability to help us “get” what we wanted to get and his generosity with his time spent with us even “outside” the regular classroom hours.
How was the presentation quality?
Steve’s presentation was superb—–inspiring. As a trainer, I really appreciated Steve’s ability to keep his energy “up” and hold our focused attention, 10 hours a day! Its accurate to say “there was never a dull moment!” It was non-stop fun from the first moments to the last good-bye. Steve is highly skilled at “using NLP to teach NLP”—that is a treat that you must experience for yourself!
Did the trainer explain clearly?
Steve takes every question seriously and explains with great clarity. He will go the extra mile to satisfy himself that you have understood. With Steve, there is no such thing as a “dumb question.” Steve uses stories, anecdotes, humor, adult language, metaphors and “whatever it takes” to help people learn what they came to learn.
Did the trainer help when you had trouble?
Steve not only helped me whenever I had a question he also politely ignored some of my ignorant assumptions and assessments that I brought with me to the program. We had a good laugh at several points where I realized a need to re-visit and re-frame some rather limiting assumptions I had initially made. Steve never “made me wrong” about these things…he just trusted that somewhere along the way the light bulb would go on for me “opening new neural pathways in the brain!” And he was right!
Was the trainer patient?
Steve was a very patient trainer and gave freely of his time and energy to all of us over the 8 day period of the course. Steve is a “giver” and sincerely cares about the people he is working with.
Where was the training held?
The training was held in British Columbia. I enjoyed some great walks up on the hill about the motel on several mornings during the course. The small town setting is quite charming— a great place to relax and learn.
Where did you stay?
I stayed at the venue hotel, which I found to be comfortable and good value.
Were there sufficient restaurants etc. nearby?
The food was wonderful and we enjoyed quite a few different restaurants. The meals were always fun as we inevitably blended our new NLP learnings with the dining experience. I am certain there are a few waitresses who found their encounters with us “entrancing.”
What did you like about the training?
I enjoyed the non-stop learning, the emphasis on immediate practice and interaction with others, and the professional way the whole experience was led by Steve.
Was it worth the money?
This experience with Steve Boyley was a tremendous value (check around and see what some other trainers are charging) and I am really happy that I chose his training for my first experience with NLP. I have my certificates (signed by Richard Bandler) on my office wall and I am very proud of them!
How did it compare to other trainings (and which, specifically)?
I have been to other workshops and training seminars (not NLP related) in the US and other countries. What impressed me about this experience was the obvious mastery of the trainer, his committed professionalism and his way of being personally accessible before, during and after the course.
People like David say “I love my NLP mind.”