Welcome to Robbins NLP
Change work is about helping people move from where they are now toward an outcome they would like to achieve.
Change begins by understanding where we are and where we would like to go.
Once those two states are defined, we can compare them to identify the differences that need to change in order to reach the new outcome.
That is the foundation of the individual client change work we provide, and the foundation from which my leadership work developed.
Here is a quick example.
“I want to be more confident speaking up at work.”
The Desired State clarifies what that actually means.
They want to contribute their ideas clearly in meetings, even when senior people are present, and leave the meeting feeling they represented themselves well.
The Present State looks at what is currently producing the unwanted result.
When they have an idea, they may immediately imagine someone challenging it. Their body tightens, they begin rehearsing what to say internally, they wait for the perfect moment, and eventually the conversation moves on.
They stay silent.
So the Present State is not simply:
“I do not speak up.”
It is the pattern currently producing that result:
Anticipate challenge → tension → internal rehearsal → delay → silence
Now the comparison becomes useful.
Desired State
Hear the discussion → form a view → speak clearly → stay engaged
Present State
Hear the discussion → anticipate challenge → become tense → overthink → stay silent
Now we can begin to see what may need to change.
The difference is not simply that the person needs to “talk more.”
It may involve the meaning they attach to being challenged, the internal representation that appears before they speak, and the state that representation produces.
An earlier experience may help explain where part of that pattern originated. But understanding the history alone does not tell us what is happening in the meeting today.
The Present State shows us the pattern that is active now and therefore what the change work needs to address.
Desired State tells us the experience the person wants.
Present State shows us the pattern producing the current result.
The comparison helps us identify what needs to change.