All Meta Programs Explained [List] To Influence People

What are meta programs and how do you use them to understand yourself and other people? This article starts with a clear explanation of meta programs and then you will find all meta programs clearly written and explained in this article. This page contains all the information about meta programs. Read along…

What are meta programs?

Meta programs are patterns (programs) that determine how people prefer to behave in a certain context, automatically, according to their autopilot. Does this sound familiar? Indeed, meta programs are one of the filters in the NLP communication model.

So they are not character traits, but filters of our experience.

A brief summary of how different types of filters work:

• Many people startle by seeing something green and slippery that looks like a snake. When they find out a few seconds later that it was a plastic hose, their reaction changes again.
• A frog shoots into the action by the criterion ‘movement’. If there are all freshly dead flies on the ground, the frog will starve to death. It will nip at moving flies, but also at a black pen that you move above its head.
• A woman who always feels insecure when her husband talks to other women – “I’m exchangeable, he can exchange me for someone else …” – when she sees “woman standing near my husband.” When she enriches her image and brings in more details, she sees that her husband is not interested in other women at all or that the other women are not even his age. It’s not like they go to Paris together for a weekend or anything!

Meta programs are also filters. People’s meta-programs color our actions, thinking, choices, preferences, perception, the way we experience situations and the way we subsequently react.

Meta programs have nothing to do with identity. And again: they are not character traits, but filters. When the meta programs were discovered in the early years of NLP, the NLP developers thought that meta programs could give a hint about your personality. They came back to this later. Unfortunately, the title of Tad James’ book ‘Time line therapy and the basis of personality’ could not be reversed.

You can read a lot from someone, for example by observing. Observing people gives you information, so much so that you may need to structure that information. So you’re going ‘meta about someone’s programs’. You can do that with meta programs!

The origins of meta programs lie with Carl Jung’s book Psychological Types and are further elaborated by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI).  Subsequently, several NLP trainers expanded this with more meta-program categories. John Grinder is one of the NLP developers who ignore metaprograms because he thinks it is superfluous to ‘go meta about programs’. Other NLP developers continue to find it a useful additional tool for everyday use.

Meta programs are useful to know to adapt your behavior to them. Meta programs are therefore an important part of the NLP Master Practitioner Training.

Meta programs are context dependent

Meta programs are context dependent (eg work – private). On a business level, you could, for example, determine which meta programs applicants must meet. That same person may have a completely different meta-program in their home situation.

How do you use meta programs to positively influence others?

Let’s take an example right away. For example, someone can be an avoidance person or an approach person. An avoidance person is motivated by hearing what can go wrong if something is not done, and an approach person is motivated by hearing the gains when something is done.

For example, do you have to manage other people, or do you sometimes need to screen new candidates, and would you like to know how you can best assess whether they are suitable? With meta programs you can know exactly how to communicate with, for example, a colleague.

You can predict – based on someone’s past behavior – what someone will do in a situation that is new to that person.

This way you can determine not only whether an applicant is right for your team, but also how you can communicate with this person to make him or her function most effectively. In addition, there are many more applications for metparograms.

Mechanical engineers know everything about a particular project. However, they often fail to get their message across to others within the company. Nobody understands what they are saying. The mechanical engineers could therefore make a little more distinction between ‘ self ‘ and ‘ other ‘. They could get out of the “me” meta program and into the “you” meta program. They could also differentiate more about when they can talk about information and when they can talk about things that people are interested in.

Should mechanical engineers present their plans to their boss within the company? And their presentation does not come across at all? That’s because those mechanical engineers shared great … details and explained how interesting it was to … themselves . What could they have done to sell their plans to their boss? By telling it … more  generally and explaining how interesting it is for … others !

Why should you recognize and respond to meta programs?

With the help of meta programs we can accurately predict someone’s internal representation, mood and thus behavior . Understanding the meta programs of others and yourself makes it easier for you to accept , forgive, and influence people .

For example, if you have an applicant, it is important to know whether the way in which the applicant thinks and acts corresponds with your company culture. This way you can know in advance whether a collaboration will end in a fiasco, so that you do not have to hire the applicant, or whether the applicant is a perfect match, so that you can hire this person with certainty.

Why else use meta programs?

• If you understand a person’s meta-programs, you will know what to do to please another person, how to communicate with that person, and how to influence that person.
• With this you can build good and intensive contact.
• You can convince the other person of a certain task, proposal or opinion in an honest way.
• You can take into account the way in which the other experiences reality. In this way you build more acceptance for how someone acts.
• In collaboration situations you can have more understanding for the other, or you can make targeted changes to the working method.
• You can make maximum use of the other person’s capabilities.
• It is better to involve the other in a joint task or goal.
• If you recognize your own meta programs, you can create more choices for yourself: will you leave your autopilot at the wheel, or will you take the helm and switch to a less automatic meta program? You increase your self-knowledge, which makes you aware of your behavior. You can either accept this behavior or change it so that you approach something in a different way: your options are expanded!
• You can deduce from meta programs which (obstructing) beliefs someone has.
• You can be hired by companies to supervise the recruitment and selection, by creating a profile of the candidates’ meta programs and advising on whether it is a good match.
• The meta programs are a valuable part for when you start coaching directors. ‘Imagine: I sit with you for 90 minutes and I tell you exactly how you are put together. It’s not about what you think, but how you think. ‘ You will ask questions for 8 minutes and then you will give the director a precise explanation of his meta programs for an hour, including theory. If there is a decision maker in the company first, do this with the decision maker. After that, you will receive an assignment to do this with the entire company, if you request it.
• If you want to make contact with an important / known person, read his / her written texts and see which meta programs you can extract. Then use them in your message.
• If you tune in to the other’s meta programs during a date, it will seem as if you have known each other for years.
• You can also quickly request the meta programs per person in 4 minutes, after which you give advice on how to deal with staff and / or who should be hired.
• You can gain a better understanding of the behavior of others. This is even how meta programs originated within NLP. Among the first group of NLP developers there was one who had an unpleasant personality. Leslie-Cameron Bandler therefore decided to empathize with the other. She started modeling him with help from Richard Bandler   by adopting his stature and way of talking – “How is it possible that this person is so creative / interesting / obnoxious?” Suddenly she came out with a gigantic insight: this person is always in his own body, he is  sorted by self and he is the authority in his world. It was n’t a mistake , but other people hadn’t realized it yet.

There is no right or wrong. What is our favorite flavor in terms of meta programs? What are we most an expert in?

How do you actually take advantage of meta programs for influence?

You can respond to someone else’s meta programs by thinking logically and adapting your communication to the other . Let’s take the example of the meta-program “avoid” or “achieve.” Say to an avoidance person, “This is what we want to avoid. This will lessen our potential problems. ‘ You say to a reach person, “These are our goals.”

Continue reading this article to find examples of how best to respond to them for a number of meta programs …

Meta programs are not black and white

Important to know: intermediate variations are possible for all meta programs. For example, it may be that someone is ‘avoid’ in combination with ‘achieve’. Then you say, “This is what we want to avoid, and just as importantly, these are our goals.” Or vice versa, someone who ‘achieve’ is in combination with ‘avoid’: ‘ This is what our goals are, and just as importantly, this is what we want to avoid. Finally, it may be that someone has, for example, a lot of ‘achievement’ and a little ‘avoidance’. Then you say, “These are our goals, and these are some of the things we want to be careful about to avoid.”

Can you change meta programs?

There are ways to change meta programs. One of those ways is by using the decision-making technique of timeline therapy . “When did you decide to have meta-program x?” You can also change the meta-program ‘in time’ or ‘through time’ by rotating the timeline.

For example, you can turn the meta-program introverted into extraverted by changing the SEE (significant emotional event) or imprinter experience on the timeline, as these are your meta-programs.

Another way to change meta programs is also in the official Time Line Therapy book  on pages 150 and 151: If someone wants to become a feeler, you can anchor the sense of association. For all steps: see pages 150 and 151 of the book.

How can you recognize meta programs?

Meta programs come to life when we say, think or do something. Another can see it from the behavior or hear it from the language. you can discover / recognize in a number of ways:

• You can literally ask someone else’s meta programs directly.
• You can notice what the other person’s responses are to you.
• You can give the other a task and observe what is happening. Afterwards you can also ask about his internal processes.
• You can let the other person tell a story and draw up all the meta programs from it.

While someone is answering a direct question about meta programs … he / she immediately unconsciously answers all other meta programs as well.
– Charles Faulkner

The four basic meta programs and how to use them for better communication

The four MBTI components form the four basic meta programs. With this you can quickly understand someone’s way of thinking, doing and feeling.

1. Introvert VS Extravert

The first example of a meta-program is: a person can be introverted or extroverted. When you have a person in front of you during the interview who you really want because they are very good and difficult to recruit, and you have found out that this person is outgoing, you can say: “You can then go with a gigantic team to work together! ”

The way to find out if someone is introverted or extroverted: ask the question “when it’s time to recharge your batteries, do you prefer to be alone or to be with other people?”

2. Sensor VS Intuitor

Another example. An applicant can be a sensor or an intuitor. A sensor is tactical and very effective. This person can tell you exactly what to do, and he’ll love it. If you need a practical and tactical team member, you want a sensor.

On the other hand, do you want someone who can think more long-term, someone who can think in the big picture, someone who has strategic insight? Then you must have an intuitor .

How do you find out what type a person is? You can then ask, “If you were to learn a new skill, would you be more interested in applying it in the present or the future?” A sensor is interested in practical doing tasks in the now, and an intuitor can look to the future strategically and abstractly.

So you can approach people of the intuitor type by saying: “We are going to create something innovative. We are going to communicate with the world. ” On the other hand, it is better to say to sensors: “We will be programming a new app with our team over the next three months. It will be a chat application with which everyone can send messages to each other. ”

3. Thinker VS Feeler

This meta-program has to do with a person ‘s internal state . Is someone more of a thinker or a feeler? You can say to a thinker: “scientific source x has written that this leads to 20% more efficiency. What do you think?”

It is better to say to a sensor: “I know efficiency is important to you. Do you feel enough energy to do this? ” To find out what type a person is, you can ask if someone values ​​their own personal values ​​more or if they value reason, logic and other impersonal sources more.

4. And the fourth basic meta program? Here you can find it …

This is an invitation to open at least one more page of this website. You can read all about the fourth basic meta program in the MBTI article.  Just make sure to continue reading this article for all other meta programs!

Let’s zoom in on all the other meta programs

Below you will find all other meta programs. You can use the questions or assignments under the bullets to answer the question which meta programs belong to the person you are applying this to.

Options VS procedures (to be equated with Observer VS Assessor)

This is a very nice meta program! Am I facing a person who likes set procedures and sequencing, finds change difficult and would not be so quick to decide to take a spontaneous vacation? Or am I facing a person who likes options, so a person who wants a lot of variety and new experiences?

This is also an MBTI component. The procedure type is a ‘judger’ and the options type is a ‘perceiver’ . It is better to say to a judger, “Let’s stick to the plan and do this step by step.” It is better to say to a perceiver: “let’s improvise and come up with a new, unique way!”

• Option people prefer to have a lot of freedom, independence and choice. They also always see additional possibilities, manners and opportunities. They are motivated to develop alternatives.
• Procedural people prefer to have a predetermined path that they only have to follow. If you want to sell something to these people, fill in a whole list for them with their preferred products and data. They only have to sign at the bottom. In America, during seminars, forms are laid out that are already almost completed for registration for a follow-up seminar.

You can provoke this meta program as follows:

Why do you do what you do?

Why did you choose this?

Details VS big picture

• Some people like to see things in big steps, or chunks.
• Others prefer to talk about baby steps.

Consider for yourself how best to communicate with both types of people, so that you get through to the other.

External frame of reference VS internal frame of reference (authority)

One of the easier meta programs to recognize is the type that has an “internal frame of reference” and the type that has an “external frame of reference.”

Internal frame of reference (with external check):

• Determines what he thinks of his own performance.
• It is easier for these people to build self-confidence.
• Own criteria are central.
• Takes decisions independently. Has difficulty accepting decisions and opinions of others.

External frame of reference (with internal check):

• It is especially important what others think of him.
• It’s less easy to build self-confidence with this meta-program.
• The criteria of the other are central.
• Needs input from others to make decisions. Relies on the opinions and findings of others. Is open to that.

If your organization mainly works with self-managing and self-evaluating teams, you would prefer to have someone with an internal frame of reference. On the other hand, if the work in your organization is mainly controlled by the boss, then someone with an external frame of reference fits best in your team.

You can provoke this meta program as follows:

You can find out if someone has an internal or an external frame of reference by asking, “How do you know you have done a good job?” Someone with an internal frame of reference will likely say, “I thought I did well then.” Someone with an outside frame of reference would say, “and everyone loved it, so it was successful.”

You can also give the applicant a small assignment, and wait to see how the applicant lets you know that it is finished. Is he or she going to ask, “Well, is it that good?” Or is he or she going to say: “So, it’s finished.”

Other ways are:

Have artwork made and wait to see how it is closed.

How do you know you’ve made the right choice?

How do you know you’ve done a good job?

Do you know that from the inside or do others tell you?

Respond:

If you want an externally oriented person to listen to your message, you can say:

• It is unanimously agreed that …
• There are thousands of people who …
• Research has shown that …
• Everyone buys this. They are the most popular this season. This year everyone is wearing such pants, we can hardly keep them in the store.

If you want an internally oriented person to listen to your message, you can say:

• Weigh all factors and judge for yourself. Ultimately, you are the one who decides whether this makes sense.
• I can’t convince you of anything. Ultimately, only you can know.
• The decision rests on your shoulders.

Internal with external check:

• As you check inside to see if it is correct, you will know that the evidence indicates that …

Proactive VS reactive

Proactive people are responsible for their actions, not dependent on their environment. They do everything on their own and are not upset by bad influences or bad results from the past. Choices ensure success, not circumstances. Proactive people make statements that start with “I do… I want…”. They are just happy and they can have a genuine smile on their face despite the weather.

Reactive people make statements like, he makes me so angry. I don’t have enough time. I can not do it. If only my wife was a little more patient … Want to read more about this? A separate article has been written about this meta-program about proactive and reactive .

• Proactive: There are few or no words between the subject and the important verb. “Let ‘s go .” Shoot, aim, ready.
• Reactive: There are many words between the subject and the important verb. There may be a ‘towards meta program’, but no action is taken on it. ” I’m thinking about the possibility that we can take the time to consider how and when we could … go …”  Ready, aim, shoot.

If you want to score an assignment for your company with a reactive person, use pacing and leading based on his / her reactive meta program: “I understand you need time to take action on this. So I want you to go to go home and take all the time you need, and call us tomorrow to tell us what’s next. “

You can provoke this meta program as follows:

Do you take action almost immediately in a new situation or do you first study the situation before taking action?

Do you take the initiative quickly or do you wait first?

Example of being proactive: “Let’s go for a walk today!” And reactively: “Do you like the idea if you and I go for a walk today?”

Primary sorting style / Process organization / Orientation / Preference

What does the other pay attention to first or most? There is an order here.

1. Activities: interested in the how and action.
2. People: interested in who with.
3. Places: interested in where.
4. Things: interested in what.
5. Information: interested in why.

You can provoke this meta program as follows:

This is how you find out what the order is for this person: ask the questions below and pay attention to which things the other person mentions first. Then add a sequence to it. Once you have done that, you will now know how best to communicate with the other person in a particular context, by using the other’s order of preference.

• “What’s an amazing thing you’ve been through lately?”
• “Tell me about your time in Malaga.”
• “Suppose we are going to organize a party together, what do we arrange first?”
• “Can you describe the party?”
• “How will we know if we have done our job well, if the party was a success?”
• “Tell us about a work situation that went very well?”
• “Tell us about your favorite hobby.”
• “Can you draw your goal for me?”
• “Suppose you were going to a great place without people … or you were going to an average place with people …” And notice how the person reacts to this in the meantime.

Suppose there will be a party tonight. Someone may say, “What are we going to do at that party?” Someone else may ask, “Who will all be there?” Someone else may say, “That’s not a good place for a party.” And someone else might think, “If we put in a stereo and change the lights, we could have a fun party!”

Criteria filter (This is also a type of personal Trance Words)

The criteria filter indicates what someone’s most important values ​​are in a particular context. You can determine the criteria words from someone’s behavior or language. They have a very personal meaning to someone. So use someone’s criteria words to increase his or her energy or motivation and to make rapport . When we put this in the neurological levels , you use a person’s values ​​(high level) to spur their abilities or behavior.

You can provoke this meta program as follows:

• What do you want in context x?
• What do you think is important with regard to context x?
• What makes you do this, what does it get you?

Examples are: happiness, tranquility, growth …

Positive VS Negative

Positive:

• Starts with what was positive in the situation.
• Is excellent at naming the positive qualities of himself.
• Tells about his life by naming all positive events.

Negative:

• Start by identifying what is not right.
• Only indicates what he is doing badly.
• Tells about his life based on all the misery that has happened to him.

Reach VS Avoid (Target Direction)

Reach / towards:

• This person is motivated to achieve something by hearing what it will bring him. “Let’s find a quieter room.”
  Good to know: if the meta-program ‘reaching’ applies to different themes at the same time, you can perform the visual squash technique  .

Avoid / away from:

• Do you ask someone, “What do you want?” Then there are enough people who tell you what they no longer want.
• This person is motivated by hearing what unwanted things he will not have after reaching the goal. “It’s so noisy in here, let’s get out of here.” Good to know: if you are avoiding something, there is a chance that it can lead to burnout and fears. Also, usually when an area in your life is not that successful, there are many avoidances in it.
• Also useful to know: the meta-program ‘avoid’ will turn into ‘achieve’ when you remove past anger, sadness, fear and shame. So in an ‘avoidance’ situation you ask yourself: what is the underlying emotion? One way to let go of these past emotions is Timeline Therapy .

You can provoke this meta program as follows:

What do you want in context x?

What is important to you when it comes to x?

What do you want with the target capital?

What is the result if it goes the way you want?

What does it give / donate to you when it goes as you wish?

Why is x important to you?

To apply:

A meeting includes reach and avoid people. For example, an avoidant person might say, “Wait, that’s not going to work.” “We know that you are very good at are and if we would not have thought about what you said just now, our competitors are or will remember. So I want you (the ranges person) us in every detail tells how This one can go, and I want you (the avoidance person) to take notes so you can figure out the ways this isn’t going to work. All the things we need to get away from and deal with. “

Match VS Mismatch

Match: Match especially with the other.

• Non-verbally does the same as you
• Always agree with what you say
• Says yes, and …

Mismatch: always goes against the other.

• Acts non-verbally different from you
• Always disagrees with what you say
• Gives counterexamples and says yes, but …

You can provoke this meta program as follows:

Let’s get pizza. “No, I prefer Chinese.”

Den Bosch station: I think those green columns are so beautiful. “Yes, and then you have to see how they messed up with the new one.”

Difference VS Agreement (Need for Change)

Where in the previous meta-program (match-mismatch) you pay attention to the (non-verbal) reaction, here it is focused on comparing things. Someone with the difference meta program may agree with you, but he / she just lists more differences. This meta-program is audible in verbal behavior.

Agreement (matcher):

• Mainly looks for other people with whom he has similarities.
• Identifies the similarities of something new to something old, such as a new proposal to an old proposal.
• Identifies the similarities between the new policy and the old policy.
• Notes what is there.

Difference (mismatcher):

• Is mainly looking for other people with whom he differs.
• Describes what is different about something new, compared to the previous version.
• Identifies the differences between the new policy and the old policy.
• Notice what’s not there.

You can provoke this meta program as follows:

Place three of the same coins on the table, one of which faces the other way than the other two. Then ask, “What is the relationship between these three coins?”

What do you notice when you compare x and x?

You draw 3 rectangles of the same size, two lying on top of each other, and one standing next to them. Ask about the relationship.

Abstraction level

• Globally
• From global to specific
• Specific
• From specific to global

You can provoke this meta program as follows:

What do you need to understand or clarify something?

Abstract / global VS Concrete

An abstract person operates with large chunks:

• Talks about vehicles, or even means of getting around.
• Gives you information in abstract terms.
• Focuses on the big picture.
• Has a long-term vision.

A concrete person operates with small chunks:

• Does it refer to bicycles, cars, trains, buses, etc. or even a Batavus bicycle.
• Gives you concrete information.
• Focuses on details. “We’re going to take a break of 15 minutes and 27 seconds.”
• Has a short-term vision.

General VS Detail

General:

• Makes the program roughly during the preparation of a workshop.
• A general answer to his question is enough.

Detail:

• First prepares the start of the workshop in detail.
• Want a detailed answer to his question.

You can provoke this meta program as follows:

Can you teach me a concept / technique / something?
(Watch his way of explaining.)

Order VS Random

Order:

• Works in a structured way, step by step, in a sequence.
• Things are tidy in a fixed place.
• Plan the steps in advance.

Random:

• Does what appears to be necessary at that moment. Jumps from one subject to another.
• Cleans up in a completely different way.
• Works without a plan: gradually sees what he is going to do.

You can provoke this meta program as follows:

Have artwork made.

From global to specific VS From specific to global

You can provoke this meta program as follows:

Can you teach me a concept / technique / something?

Reason Filter

Possibility
Need
Both

You can provoke this meta program as follows:

Why do you choose to do what you are doing?

Listening style

Letterlijk
Concludeerbaar

You can provoke this meta program as follows:

By making or noticing non-literal requests. For example, “I’m thirsty.” Check if the other person just finds this interesting without doing anything about it or if he feels the urge to take action here and get a glass of water.

Speaking style

Letterlijk
Concludeerbaar

You can provoke this meta program as follows:

Consider how the other person provides feedback to other people. Is the feedback full of hints, implications and clues or is it full of direct call to actions?

Take care of others VS Take care of yourself

“Ron, could you do something for me?”

“Ron, I have something you will be interested in!”

Central person / Attention direction:

Sorted by self: Evaluates situations and communication based on own feelings and criteria. Their own world model is central and attention is focused on itself. Attention to your own feelings and experience. From own perspective, leans back, ‘I’, ‘self’, ‘for me’, gestures inward, aware of own feelings, staring into space, downtime: not paying attention to what is happening, reactions from others perceive. This is not an empathetic meta-program.

“Ron, I have something for you that could be of interest to you. I’m curious how that fits into your life . It’s a situation where you can respond. It has everything to do with what you can do with things.”

Sorted by other: Attention to the feelings and experience of the other. From the perspective and world model of others, leaning forward, ‘you’, ‘you’, ‘for you’, eye contact, uptime, external focus, attention to (non-verbal) reactions of the other, communicates from the benefits of the other. Adjusts to the criteria and feelings of the other.

“Ron, I have something for you that might be of interest to you because of the way it affects other people.”

Internally active VS Externally active

Internally active:

• Seems passive to other people.
• Thinks and dreams.

Externally active:

• Seems to be busy all the time to other people.
• Is doing.

You can provoke this meta program as follows:

Do the eyes go to the bottom left?

Me VS Me and them VS We

You can provoke this meta program as follows:

Tell about a work situation that you liked

Stressreactie

Ask about stressful situations! Stressful situations bring people the strongest in their preferred meta programs. Possible meta programs are:

• Thinking (dissociated)
• Feeling (associated)
• Choice
• To do

You can provoke this meta program as follows:

Tell about a work experience that was difficult for you, what did you do then?

Preferred part of the structure of subjective experience (Index computations)

Internal processes
Internal state
External behavior

Comparisons

Self-self
Self-other
Self-other-self
Other-other

You can provoke this meta program as follows:

How good are you at your job? How do you know that?

Fast pace VS Slow pace

High speed:

• Moves, works, thinks and reacts at a faster pace, compared to the average.

Slow pace:

• Moves, works, thinks and reacts at a slower pace.

Dominant representatiesysteem

An application developer would mainly need people who are visual, and a telemarketing agency would mainly need people who are auditory. Therefore, the applicant’s preferred system should also be considered: if this person speaks mainly in auditory terms, then it is a person who prefers auditory communication.

Of course, application developers can also hire these people, but then they ensure that they do not communicate with this person via chat, but that they consult with him personally so that he can hear the voices. This makes the message reach him better.

You can hear the preference system from a person’s language, but you can also tell it from the person by looking at his eye movements or by paying attention to the speed at which he talks, the level of grooming or his clothing style. We cannot explain exactly how that works in this article. You can read that in the article about representation systems .

But we do give an example of how you can recognize this in someone’s speech. Does someone often say things like: ‘I see what you mean’, ‘let me shine my light on this’,’ how nice to see that you work this way here ‘or’ I now have a good picture how you work here. ‘ Then this is a visual person. Did you notice the visual words in the previous sentence?

• Little visual Much visual
• Little auditory Much auditory
• Little kinesthetic Much kinesthetic

Leading representation system

Someone can look up a memory of a song by first seeing that he is opening the CD cover.

You can provoke this meta program as follows:

Note the very first eye movements .

Describe the event you last experienced.

How do you know someone is good at goal ability?

Tijdsordening: In time of throug time?

Use the knowledge of timeline therapy to find out how someone’s timeline runs. From this you can find out whether someone is using the meta-program through time or in time.

Time approach: Ordered or random?

Also use Timeline Therapy for this.

Time orientation

• Little in the past. Much in the past
• Little in the present A lot in the present
• Little in the future. Much in the future
• Ordered Random

Observation position

• Few in the first position. A lot in the first position
• Few in the second position. A lot in the second position
• Little in the third position. A lot in the third position
• Tells associated Tells dissociated

If someone tells associated, talk to this person in the present tense. Talk to someone dissociated, then talk to that person from a meta perspective.

Evidence-based belief filter: How often does someone have to prove their competence before you are convinced?

• Automatically
• Several times
• For a certain amount of time
• Constantly

Tip: Someone who has a belief filter of 3 times has the need to do the future pace 3 times as well.

Control direction

• Self / others
• Self / not
• Not / others
• Self / self

Do you know what you need to be successful?

Do you know what someone else needs?

Can you indicate that to others?

Exercise – Experience the meta programs: options & procedures

Do you have a strong options meta program? Then have a conversation with someone who lives according to the procedures meta program.

Exercise – Experience Meta Programs

Alternately talk to each other according to the extremes of each meta program. Conversation topics can be, for example: your work or the meaning of life.

Exercise – Recognize Meta Programs

Give someone the assignment to make a work of art, consisting of a number of objects and a number of people. Observe how this person works and determine which meta programs they use.

Exercise – Practice meta programs by matching and mismatching on meta programs

1. Find out what some of your practice partner’s meta programs are.
2. Now tell your practice partner something. Do not coordinate your message with the meta programs of the other. So mismatching .
3. And then you do match on meta programs . Notice the difference.

Exercise – Practice meta programs in work practice

Practice meta-programs in real life by offering your customers a meta-program analysis. You can optionally offer it as a free extra service for your current customers. Schedule a session with them to find out their meta programs and provide advice afterward. If necessary, make a recording of the session so that you can watch it back to find more meta programs.

Conclusion: embrace meta programs and take advantage of them

If I were to summarize meta programs, I would say please take the other person into account. Do not start from your own communication preferences, but look carefully at who you have in front of you. What does the other like and dislike? What motivates the other? What should the other hear – and how should it be said? For example, if you’re dating a classy person, keep your plain, flat talk to you.

I recommend delving into meta programs, or at least the MBTI. It has saved and saved the company where I worked a lot of money, because we were able to put together the right teams. It is best to hire someone who is trained in recognizing the meta programs. Or train yourself in this and offer yourself as a screener and consultant on the basis of meta programs. It will bring you a lot!

How do you use meta programs?

Let us know how you use meta programs in the comments!