BETTER COMMUNICATION Listening skills are underrated says CEO Mark Shraga, who uses NLP to understand what makes colleagues tick your business, ie. it's a win-win situation. It also means that you will reduce conflict and misunderstanding in your business - this is essential when trying to get the extra mile out of limited funding because this may be a phase in the life of the business where people are perhaps not being paid top dollar. What are your three top tips on how you can use NLP for new businesses? The first relates across the board but ties in to any business plan: the map is not merely the territory it portrays, it is only a means to navigate the way forward. Always remember that it will need constant updating as the land will always surprise you with hidden nuances. I've found it beneficial to remember this on more than one occasion. Number two is, respect everyone you meet and be curious about them. For this to work you have to listen more than you speak and you will learn everything you need to know about the other person in order to have a successful commercial relationship. Number three is to keep checking that what you think you have communicated is actually what has been understood. It may surprise you how often someone will make sense of what you say from their perspective, but actually completely misinterpret you. This in NLP is stated as 'the meaning of any communication is what has been understood, not what you thought you just said.' How has it helped you personally in the way you run your business? Neuro Linguistic Programming focuses on shifting perspectives to those of the people around you - in other words, you both benefit from putting yourself in their shoes. I find this immensely powerful in working to motivate others and in creating deals that work for all parties involved. For more information go to www.brighterlives.net or email Mark at firststep@brighterlives.co.uk 155http://www.brighterlives.net