Our ‘Small Learning Teams’ Policy

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Our NLP Practitioner training courses are popular. Nevertheless we refuse to cram hoards of people into our courses..

Why?

Because to do so would reduce the quality of your learning experience – and the quality of fun that we will have on courses.

This means you can enjoy a friendly and very informal atmosphere, learn better, have more fun, and have lots of time for discussions and for hands-on coaching and individual attention from the course facilitators.

Learning NLP is different

Learning Neuro-Linguistic Programming is different from learning an academic subject.

NLP is about skill rather than accumulating information – about being able to ‘do’ rather than simply ‘know’. And to be able to ‘do’ NLP you need to:

Learn by doing

This means getting ‘hands on’ with what you are learning – through practical exercises, activities, reviews, and games. This results in a deeper neurological involvement and a more enduring learning.

Discuss, question, and challenge – everything!

This enables you to really engage with what you have experienced and tailor it to suite your personality. On our courses we encourage you to challenge us! Because intelligent learning requires that everything is tested and thoroughly challenged! Simply because some ‘authority figure’ or inspirational speaker says something is true doesn’t make it so…

Explore the applications of what you learn

Being part of a group where everybody is discussing, experimenting, testing and exploring the subject is a stimulating experience. That’s why we give a lot of attention to the practical applications of everything in the course.

Have lots of interaction

We support the Lao Tzu’s observation “none of us is as smart as all of us“.

So in our courses this is one of the first things we introduce – usually within the first 15 minutes of our entry-level NLP Core Skills. And throughout all of our courses the principle continues to be followed – we operate as learning teams in which we draw upon the skills and experiences of everyone taking part in the training.

Get lots of feedback

Being part of a large group is ‘safe’ – because you’re anonymous! It can also be intimidating – that’s why only the bravest speak out or ask questions.

On the other hand, small groups an excellent way of learning because they are informal and you get to know everyone else – and because you get to know and interact with the course facilitators.

At Pegasus NLP we believe that you cannot adequately do these as part of a crowd of 40 to 100 people. So we keep our groups to around 16 people – or 10-12 on advanced courses.

Small groups have more time for discussion

Think about it. Big-group trainings have to discourage questioning and challenging if only because there is simply not enough time for everyone to have their say.

For example, let’s say everyone in the training group asks just one question per training day – a question involves a 3 minute interaction with the course facilitator:

Group of 100 participants

Total time required = 300 minutes or 5 hours, which would take up most of the training day.

Group of around 12 people

Total time required = 36 minutes.

In our groups you are not delegated to an ‘assistant’

Many organisations use training assistants to ‘marshal the crowd’, discourage participants from bothering the main trainer, and give participants the impression that they are receiving personal attention.

And training assistants are necessary with groups of 25 or more people since there are then too many for each to receive individual attention from – or to even to have a conversation with – the course facilitator.

Here at Pegasus we do use not training assistants on our courses. You have direct access to the course trainer at all times – we even eat together as a team.

Some comments from participants

‘Most enjoyable aspect – without a doubt the high ropes! Turning fear into fun was amazing and something I will NEVER forget.

Although I hoped I would feel confident enough to complete at least one of the ropes challenges, at one point I didn’t think I could as fear took over.

However I managed to get there by gently stretching my comfort zone and if we had longer, I think I’d have done them all! Well worth it! Glad I took the time and found the money as I think my life will be different as a result.

An incredibly safe and supportive environment, with like minded people.’

Vicky Manser, UK

‘Reg teaches NLP supportively and with good humour and warmth. If you want to change your life for the better in a beautiful environment and with a good teacher, this is the course for you.”

Maddie Chapman

(More comments from participants)

Small Learning Teams avoid ‘group think’

Group dynamics can be made to work in a number of ways not all of which are in the interests of participants.

Large groups discourage most people from asking questions, challenging, moving about, choosing whether to sit or stand or lie down on the floor, make jokes, relate personal experiences of applying the material, etc.

One unhealthy result of this can be Group-Think where the group becomes more passive, the trainer’s views become ‘The Truth’, and dissension is not voiced aloud!

Space for discussion

The Pegasus Small Learning Teams’ policy means there is space for discussion.

But we don’t settle for that.

We actively encourage active discussion and questioning and challenging. This Socratic approach to learning makes for great explorations and for a much more thorough, stimulating and enjoyable learning experience that the learn-from-the-wise-one approach.

A friendlier and more supportive environment

Small Learning Teams mean a friendlier and less inhibiting learning environment

We believe that the learning environment is very important. That is one reason why we hold our courses in the countryside – so you can switch off from everyday things and focus on having fun learning NLP.

It is also why in our courses we place emphasis on respecting one other’s intelligence, individuality and personal integrity.

And it is also one of the reasons for our small learning teams policy. The people you spend time with on a course are an important part of the learning environment. And we find small learning teams are friendlier, less inhibiting, engender a higher degree of inter-personal respect.

Some comments from participants

‘Enjoyed the people (facilitators and participants) and our relationships, the trust we enjoyed, the culture we created – I am very proud to be a part of that.

The environment was sublime, it was a really safe place and I have never slept so well. I am an experienced facilitator and coach. Whilst the content rang many bells it was the way the concepts were introduced and how we got to use them that set this course apart for me.

I was present from the start to the finish. As well as walking away having learnt, I walked away feeling better about myself.’

Sandy, OD Consultant, Australia (29 April 2009)

‘Returned from the New Forest to a solid week of interviewing and immediately put the knowledge I’d gained into practice.

From interviews to just everyday conversation, I’ve found myself picking up much more information from people through my understanding of clues to their representational systems.

I’ve also started to reframe experiences I’d previously thought of as negative and that’s making a lot of difference to my relationships.”

M Marshall

(More comments from participants)

Small Teams create a great learning experience

One of the things people report after our trainings is that they continue to apply and develop what they have learned.

While this is the result of a whole range+ of elements in addition to our ‘Small Learning Teams’ policy the latter plays a very important part in this transfer of the learnings into everyday life.

For example, let’s say you are a teacher and we are exploring Eye Accessing Cues. As we progress through the topic you may wish to ask whether some aspect of the topic would work with a particularly young person in your class.

At Pegasus NLP we would not just answer your question but we would also use your question to open up a discussion of the practical applications of Eye Accessing Cues in a range of working situations – that way you benefit from your question and so does everyone else!

Small Teams create better group dynamics`

At a Pegasus NLP course you are part of a learning-team.

Within a few hours of beginning our NLP Core Skills training you will know everyone else on the course, you will have chatted with them, been for a walk around the estate with them, and have practised some in-depth NLP methods with a few of them.

Within a couple of days you will have shared meals (and, perhaps, an evening visit to the local pub), had laughs, experienced indoor and outdoor activities, and used NLP to develop rapport with and respect for everyone.

The benefits of this ‘learning team’ approach are quite remarkable and have to be experienced to be fully appreciated.

Some comments from participants

“And uplifting adventure. I came on the Core Skills without any prior knowledge of NLP and found that when I left at the end of the course I had experienced an amazing adventure with such a huge mixture of emotion and feelings I had not before experienced on any other like minded courses.

It enlightened me to aspects of my life that I felt strongly about and why I felt this way.

Now of course I understand it to be part of my ‘Personality Map’ – something I did find difficult to get to grips with, but with Reg’s very understanding and patient manner everything fell into place clearly.

I have found all areas of core skills to be extremely relevant to aspects of my personal and work life.

It’s given me a clearer understanding and insight to myself and others and in my training role has been invaluable at communicating on a clearer more concise level.

It was great fun and a throughly enjoyable learning experience in a really wonderful environment, which doesn’t end on the last day but carries on throughout.”

Liz Walker, Training Advisor, Germany

Some comments from participants

‘I enjoyed the high ropes even though at the time I wasn’t sure how they would be relevant, I found that they were surprisingly insightful.

An excellent experience that I will never forget. I found that the way the course was taught felt effortless and I know that it takes a lot of hard work to make learning feel like that.

I often glaze over in lectures/during courses and I didn’t during this course, which was a first for me.

Tanya, Lawyer, UK.

‘I attended the course feeling very nervous as it was to be a great challenge meeting new people with a view to staying on site.

The mix of people was diverse but with one common value – openness.

Core Skills has changed the way I view myself and others and has provided me with confidence and techniques to overcome what I perceived as difficulties.

Bite the bullet – you’re worth it!’

Angela C. Learning & Development Officer

(More comments from participants)