Guiding behavior with Meta programs

Meta programs are our inputting, sorting and filtering preferences. They guide and direct our thought process and behavior. They determine how we motivate ourselves, make decisions, buy things, what we are interested in, how we manage time, how long we stay in a job or relationship, our effectiveness with tasks and how we solve problems.

They are the programs, which guide and direct other processes (hence the "Meta"). Because of this, they play a key part in what others see as our personality. We tend to forget they are things we do rather than who we are.

They are typical patterns in the strategies or thinking styles of the person. Michael Hall considers them as frames of mind used in processing.

Sorting and filtering

Representational systems are an example of a sorting and filtering preference. If I prefer visual system processing, I will tend to "see" my problems, and am more likely to notice visual stimuli, rather than say changes in voice tone and tempo. Out of the millions of pieces of information in the environment, which type will someone systematically pay attention to?

While some sorting preferences apply to us overall, they are not necessarily the same in all areas of our lives. For instance, we may sort, process and perceive differently at work than we do at home. Meta programs evolved as a way to explain how individuals with the same sequence of representational systems could end up with different results.

Coding Preferences

We may even code our experiences in an habitual way. Imagine how differently your life would seem if you coded experiences in black and white rather than full vivid color. In this way, certain submodalities can become a kind of metaprogram.

The association dissociation submodality in particular is a biggie here. Becoming flexible can make a huge difference to someone's view of the world.

How they relate to strategies

The "Meta" part relates to patterns out side the strategy. They influence how we represent and sort our experiences, and where we direct our attention.

They are not the same as a strategy, which is a sequence of representations. For instance someone's problem solving strategy might be "First I see something (visual external), that doesn't fit (kinesthetic internal feeling of wrongness) with everything else then I say to myself "rats" (auditory internal). This leads me to stop what I am doing (kinesthetic) and focus all my attention (visual external) on the piece that doesn't fit until it does" (kinesthetic internal feeling of rightness)

If we wanted to model this person's expertise, we would additionally need to know something about how she perceives that something is wrong, and how she sorts for solutions.

Can we change Meta programs?

Our ways of filtering and perceiving can often interfere or sabotage our outcomes. Because Meta programs are processes rather than traits, we can alter them.

Basic Meta programs

Motivation Meta programs

Motivation Direction - Toward and Away From

Whether we generally move toward what we want (pleasure) or away from what we don't want or want to avoid (pain), profoundly affects many aspects of our lives. Anthony Robbins organized much of his early work on this one Meta program.

Motivation Reason - Possibility or Necessity

Somewhat similar to Toward and Away from is how we are motivated to make choices, options and take action. Someone who thinks in terms of possibilities and desires lives in a very different world than one who sees only what she has to do and the demands in her life.

Motivation Action

Action Filter - our level of activation and reflection.

Proactive action filter - Acting and Thinking
Reactive action filter - Acting without Thinking
Reflective action filter - Thinking without Acting
Inactive action filter - Not Thinking, not Acting

Motivation Source - Internal and External Frame of Reference

Do we get our direction from within ourselves (internal) or from outside sources (external)? Who is our authority?

Motivation Preferences or Primary Interest:

People - focusing on the who
Place - focusing on the where
Things - focusing on the what
Activities - focusing on doing
Information - focusing on knowledge and data about people, place, things and activities

Where do we direct out interest? This is the primary focus of our attention. Are we more interested in people, places, activities, things or information. As an example, for instance when someone talks about their holiday, do they tell you about the people they met or the things they did?

Values

Values are also meta programs in a sense. We sort and filter our world by them.

Decision-making

Options or procedures

This is also known as Motivation Reason or Operational Style (just so you have lots of options). It is best elicited by the question "why did you choose?" The options filter is good at generating procedures but not following them. The procedures filter can follow procedures but get stuck if they don't have one.

Convincer Strategies

How do you become confident or certain that something is true? What makes something believable?

Convincer Channel

Where do you gather information? Are you convinced because it

Convincer Mode

How long or often it takes to be convinced.

Judging perceiving

A judging preference creates the need for closure and sometimes a premature decision, while a perceiving preference generally has difficulties making decisions.

Focusing or attending

Global Specific

Do you prefer to get the big picture or the details? This pattern relates to the size of the information chunks we are happy dealing with. Global people get bored with details whereas a specific person gets frustrated with overviews and summaries.

The relationship filter or matching/mismatching

This pattern is part of our process of understanding and deciding. It also predicts how often we need to change things. Sameness or matching doesn't like things to change. Differences or mismatching need variety and notice how things are different.

Attention Filter - Sorting by Self or Others

This filter is about how we pay attention to other people. Do we notice their reactions, their body language and voice tone for instance? The pattern has a correlation to introvert extrovert.

Personality Typology

The MBTI explains differences in behavior resulting from different ways people use their minds. The different filters are:

ENFJ
Sociable, Inspiring Leadership, Warm, Responsible
ENFP
Warmly enthusiastic and imaginative, flexible
ENTJ
Frank, like to lead, logical, decisive
ENTP
Outspoken, resourceful, analytical, like variety
ESFJ
Loyal, action, warmhearted, conscientious
ESFP
Outgoing, realistic, friendly, accepting
ESTJ
Practical implementation, realistic, logical, decisive
ESTP
Action, pragmatic, focus on results, flexible
INTJ
Independent, original, quick, organized
INTP
Quiet, abstract, logical, flexible
INFJ
Quiet, seek connection between ideas, decisive, organized
INFP
Idealistic, loyal, decisive, adaptable
ISFJ
Quiet, conscientious, friendly, orderly
ISFP
Quiet, sensitive, friendly, harmonious
ISTJ
Quiet, practical, logical, organized
ISTP
Quiet, practical, logical, flexible

People

Independent, proximity or cooperative/dependent

This work style sort has to do with how well people work together in groups. Independents work best by themselves when they have control of their own projects. Proximity wants to be part of the team but also have their particular area of responsibility. Cooperative likes to work with others, and share responsibility and rewards.

Task or relationship

A relationship orientation focuses on people and their feelings. The task is secondary to the relationship building. The task orientation focuses on the actual project and can often be abrupt with the people working with them. People tend to think of this as an either/or whereas one of the tasks needs to be relationship building.

Time

In time thru time

This filter is about time storage and the way you know the difference between the past, the present and the future.

Time filter - past, present, future, atemporal

This is about how we perceive and are oriented in time. It is where we prefer to have our attention, on the past, present or future. Atemporal is when we are outside or unaware of time, perhaps in a flow state.