The Meta Model Card Game | New NLP Training

NLP training differs from company to company, yet surprisingly enough, most NLP trainers don’t really deviate much as to how they teach the Meta Model. This is a shame because all that happens then is NLP trainers follow the example of their trainers. And it gets stuck there; we bring our history of learning into our teaching.

I have taken NLP training with 5 different companies, and the teaching of the Meta Model and the Milton Model frustrated me. Surely, this could be taught in a fun way? And retention and ability could surely increase?

First of all, I removed all of the linguistic names because

1) People glaze over when you use words like “universal quantifier,” and “unspecified verb.”

2) These naming conventions are maybe useful only if you want to become a linguist. They are useless in learning or mastering the meta-model.

3) They can be included in a manual, but they are ignored to get my students up to a proficiency level in the meta model itself.

Second, I wanted to teach the NLP Meta Model like a game. The best way to learn is when we are having fun. If we can help it, we want to have high competency and ability after an afternoon of effort and practice. I created the first version of the “coach” card sets and the “client” card sets.

The client card sets are, in essence, sentences a client could say. For example:
I always fail.
They think I can not succeed.
You didn’t invite me to the wedding, you don’t care about me.

You can see an example of one of these cards below:

The coach card set contains all the meta model sentences.
You can see an example of one of these cards below:

We are proud to announce the second version of the NLP Meta Model game card sets, which we have made available for sale through our printers.
Get Them Here

What can you do with these cards? You create all kinds of smaller and larger games which you can practice on your own, or with others.

I will give you 3 NLP Meta Model Card Games today, and later I will follow-up with a special post offering additional ones you can use.

NLP Meta Model Game – Practicing Deletions

Needed: NLP Clients cards + NLP Coach Deletion Cards
Mode: Single Player (can be altered for multi-player easily.)

1. Remove the “generalization” and “distortion” cards from the coach cards.
2. Take the first client card sentence.
3. Try to get rid of one coach deletion card.
4. Take the next client card sentence.
5. Try to get rid of one other coach deletion card.
6. Keep repeating until you feel you have memorized all the coach deletion cards. The put the coaching cards aside entirely.
7. Continue to pay the game without your NLP coach card training wheels.

You can play this game practicing the distortions and the generalizations as well.

NLP Meta Model Game – A Card a Day

Needed: NLP Coach Cards
Mode: Single Player

Each day select one coach card.

1. Memorize the coach card. And spend 5 minutes reflecting on what are the type of sentences you would use this meta model card for.
2. In your typical day, consider what conversations you will do one-on-one, will do with groups, what written information you will likely end up reading, or what communications you are present for as non-participant and as a listener/observer only (watching TV, attending a lecture.) Make very conscious that you will practice and use this card today any opportunity you can.
3. Consider taking a picture and put it on your phone screensaver.
4. Use the sentence everywhere you can engaging in conversations. And when you aren’t an active participant, imagine where you could ask it if you were to be able to participate in a conversation.

This game can easily be altered by using two or three NLP coaching cards.

NLP Meta Model Game – All About Speed

Needed: NLP Coach Cards & NLP Client Cards
Mode: Multi-player

1. Divide all the NLP coaching cards among the players.
2. Reveal the first client card.
3. Player one tries to get rid of one of their cards.
4. Player two etc. Until the client cards meta model violations are exhausted.
5. Repeat.
6. The game ends when one player has gotten rid of all of their NLP coaching cards.

This game can be altered by instituting the rule that when a player tries to get rid of an NLP coaching card wrongly, he or she must draw 3 new NLP coaching cards.