Metaprograms (NLP): The human software

In the simplest form, metaprograms are our inner internal programs or functions that we use in deciding how and what we pay attention to. It is something like inner filter on how we see and evaluate things around us.
There are many kinds of metaprograms:

1. Moving towards or moving away.

• Moving away (aversion): to avoid pain, may read a book to look good (to avoid looked stupid). if you don't study, you won't get a good job
  
• Moving towards (greed): to gain pleasure. read book for the contents (benefits), if you study, you could get to any job you want.
  
• To know, ask what they want in a relationship (check whether they tell u want they want or what they don't want more)
  

2. External or internal frames of reference.

• Internal: the reference comes from inside, inner metrics. Can be convinced by saying: you are the only who knows. You know it yourself better, you are the only one who can convince you.
  
• External: the reference comes from outside, from others reactions, others behaviors, what they say. Can be convinced by using social proof, what other say or feel, testimonials, etc.
  
• To know: ask how one know he's done a good job
  

3. Sorting by self or sorting by others.

• By self: What's in it for me? only interested on self
  
• By others: What it could do for me and others? interested in others
• To know, ask random questions maybe ask about work experience, what's important, why, and see if that person is paying attention while you are asking, and if he is interested in your response, or only in his.
  

4. Matchers and mismatchers

• Find sameness (mathcers): look at things and see what they have in common. Want the same thing over and over again, suitable for repetitive kind of jobs
  
• Find sameness with exception: find the common then find what is different.
  
• Find difference (mismathcers): always see how things are different, things are not alike at all, suitable for jobs that keep on changing. If there's a disagreement, one of the trick is to say there's no solution here (then he will find the opposite).
  
• Find difference with exception: see the difference first, then see something in common.
• To know, ask what's the relationship between 2 or 3 related things.
  

5. What it takes to convince someone of something.

• Immediate: show it once and you are set
  
• a number of times: maybe two or more times
  
• Over a period of time: over a week, a month, or a year
  
• Consistently: over time, must be demonstrated on all occasions.
  
• To know, ask how do you know when someone else is good at a job? Do you have to see them do it, hear about how good they are, do it with them, read about them?
  

6. Possibility or necessity

• Necessity: do something because they have to, get by with what comes and is available, may welcome constant jobs.
  
• Possibility: Looking for varieties and what is possible. Motivated more by what they want to do than what they have to do.
• To know: ask why he works on that company, or why he bought that car.
  

7. Working stlye.

• Independent: work on their own, feel uneasy in a group setting, prefer to do things on his own way
  
• Cooperative: prefer to share responsibility and to be in a group
• Proximity: somewhere in between, want to be part of a team but work alone

8. Sort by feelings or thoughts

9. Make decision by facts or figures, or idea and concepts. (details vs big pictures)

10. Turn on by beginnings, or completion.

11. Compare by price or values

and the list continues...
What's yours?


Sources: Tony Robbins, Unlimited Power.