COULD the only thing standing in the way of your career success be you? If you accept that success can be taught, the answer is yes.

This idea is at the heart of neuro-linguistic programming (NLP). It consists of a series of techniques created in the 1970s to give the individual supreme control over their thoughts so they can unlock their untapped potential — or so the theory goes.

Niall O’Ceallaigh, the vice-president of human resources at SR Technics, the aeronautics company, is a firm believer in the process.

“I’ve always been interested in developing myself and, at the time I came across NLP, had just finished a master’s degree in business,” he said.

“I was particularly interested in communications, and though I was dubious initially because I didn’t know much about it, it turned out to be an excellent learning exercise — both about myself and others.”

Proponents of NLP hold that the individual already has all the resources they need to bring about change and that there is a solution or desirable outcome to every problem.

NLP training also teaches that the person with the most flexibility and variation of behaviour is the one in command of the outcome when it comes to human interactions.

“It’s particularly good on things such as bringing about shared outcomes and trying to understand where the other person is coming from,” said O’Ceallaigh.

It also helps his own performance. “I was in my current position when I did the training, but I feel more assured about what I’m doing as a result of it. Its main strength is in relation to interpersonal relations.

“Some people talk about a problem, rather than what they actually want, or what the solution might be. NLP talks a lot about reframing things — often it’s a question of how you see things,” said O’Ceallaigh.

People who study NLP learn that they are responsible for other people’s communication with them.

“This makes you really think about what you are trying to accomplish in a given situation,” said O’Ceallaigh.

“If I am going into a meeting, I now put quite a lot of thought into what I am going to do and what I want to achieve among 20 people with different agendas and viewpoints.”

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