What's X Got To Do With It
by GRADUAN
Selvi Gopal looks into NLP to find out how it can help fresh graduates unleash their X-Factor
Going to a job interview is often a highly traumatic affair for many school or university leavers. A big part of that fear comes from having to deal with the unknown ‘real working world’.
Most have led a very sheltered life, one largely defined by an education system that does not place enough emphasis on understanding the world, building self-confidence and presentation skills.
Whilst the government and the Ministry of Education continue to try and fine-tune the weaknesses of the current education system, the reality for many fresh school-leavers and graduates is that many just don’t have the skills to deal with the real world.
In the real world, you need more that just remembering information by memorization. You need the X-factor…that little extra that would make you stand out from rest of the crowd.
What is NLP?
NLP stands for Neuro-Linguistic Programming. If it’s Greek to you, don’t worry as it’s relatively new in Malaysia, though it’s actually been around in the West for over 20 years.
Simply put, NLP is about tapping into your strengths, to build self-confidence and self-esteem. NLP, which has been described as the software of the brain, just allows you to polish your personality for the best results. It is essentially about influencing people through what you are good at. Some people may say it involves emotional blackmail but remember that most of the successful people in this world are those who have the ability to influence people to their way of thinking.
Key weaknesses of fresh graduates observed by Osman in his 32 years as a banker
- 1.Unable to make decisions
- 2.Unwillingness to learn new things (one must be committed to lifelong learning)
- 3.Inability to work in teams
- 4.Lack of communication skills (unable to communicate effectively)
- 5.Lack self-confidence in themselves (to do new tasks/ assignments)
- 6.Poor dressing at interviews.
If you know that you speak well, but yet you lack the confidence for public speaking, NLP will teach you how to empower yourself to break away from whatever fears you may have that are holding you back.
Mohamed Osman is an NLP certified practitioner and has been teaching NLP for the last few years. Currently, he holds workshops to teach students and graduates leadership qualities. His areas of specialisation are personal leadership, sales motivation and attitudinal change.
Osman says NLP helps people realise “the potential of their minds.” “In school, students are made to concentrate on content,” he explains. “You are taught to replicate information. You are not taught to use your five senses to bring out the best in you.”
He adds that NLP is a belief system, that essentially teaches a person the recipe for success.
| “I tell students they can change their negative view of life by exploiting their own strengths,” he says. “In a few hours, they can learn their strengths and weaknesses, something that may otherwise take years to discover through trial and error.” |
The former banker, who has studying NLP since 1992 says the sense of sight, touch and hearing can be utilised to help us in our pursuit of personal and professional success. “We have discovered that although people use all the senses (Sight, Sound, Touch, Taste & Smell), they tend to use one more than the others,” explains Osman. “This primary sense categorises a person as being visual, kinesthetic or auditory. My job is to help people discover their preferred sense and to use it to their advantage.” All around us, says Osman, are examples of people who are good at certain things.
“Take George W. Bush as an example,” he says. “He is visual person. He talks very fast and at times, he does not know what is he is talking about. Most visual people are fast talkers. The former US president Bill Clinton on the other hand, is an auditory person. He listens and speaks well. This is why he can charm people through speech.
“Our former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad is also an auditory person. He speaks very well and relates well to people through speech. Our present Prime Minister Dato Seri Ahmad Badawi is a kinesthetic person, he talks less but man of action.”
Osman believes that with the ability to communicate effectively, students can deal with complex problems and situations better. “Since our education system does not stress on critical thinking, our students rarely have a confident self-image,” he says. “Many don’t know how to speak effectively or how to be assertive. Some don’t even know how to dress well for job interviews.”
The power of body language
The spoken word, reveals Osman, is only 7% of our communication skills. Voice quality or the tone of our voice when we speak is 38%, while 55% is made up of physiology (our body language which represents non-verbal communication).
| “Our brain waves vibrate at different speeds during different activities,” he says. “The slower the brain waves, the most relaxed and peaceful we feel.” |
It has been found that music of about 7.5cycles per second (certain Baroque, classical and new age music) can change brain waves from the beta level (14- 35 hertz) to the alpha level (8-13 hertz) enhancing alertness and well being. Also simple brain exercises and NLP techniques can help us to be at alpha level most of the time.
Osman says NLP allows a salesperson to significantly improve his sales figure, a teacher to change a poor speller into a good speller, a businessperson to gain rapport non-verbally and run his business more effectively.
Physiology is about body language. When you walk upright, you feel confident, you feel re-charged. When you walk with a hunch or with shoulders low, you not only look weak and ill, you also look like you are carrying tons of problems. The reality is that no one wants to hire people preoccupied with their own problems rather than concentrating on work.
So the package has to be well-designed. One has to communicate not only with words, but also through tone and body language.
Six module programme
“I want to make my work accessible to as many students as possible,” says Osman, who offers a two-day NLP workshop specially designed for school and university leavers. His next workshop Awakening the Genius in You will be held on March 24 & 25 and April 20 and 21. The course is conducted in simple English and where necessary, Bahasa Malaysia is also used.
For further details about the programme, please contact him at Mohdosman7@yahoo.com or call him at 03-27110156/7.
OSMAN’S TRAINING MODULE FOR STUDENTS
Module 1: Self-Mastery
Participants learn how the brain functions and processes information. It teaches you how to become a super-learner.
Module 2: Introduction to NLP
Participants learn to enhance learning styles by identifying if they are a visual, auditory, kinesthetic person and explore the intricacies of the styles.
Module 3: Outcomes
Participants learn how to fast track to achieve their goals. It will help them identify what they want and how to get it.
Module 4: Whole-brain Learning
Traditional approaches to learning primarily use the left side of the brain. Here, participants will learn how to use both sides of the brain – the most effective form of learning.
Module 5: Successful Learning
Using innovative, easy-to-follow techniques, participants are taught how to learn anything 2-10 times faster
Module 6: Brain Gym
The brain can be physically stimulated to improve learning. These simple exercises will help participants concentrate better and improve their learning skills.
Mohamed Osman Ibrahim, AIBM, MMIM has a strong business/financial background, having been successful in senior management positions in a Malaysian bank for 32 years. During his last employment, he developed, implemented and coordinated various training and development in the areas of customer service, communication, sales and marketing, loans processing and recovery and also introduced new psychological skills (Neuro Linguistic Programming) to his fellow bankers. In 2000 he was responsible for the successful merger of two local banks.He left the bank in September 2002 and joined JB Rundingharta Sdn. Bhd as Managing Director/Training Consultant.
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