Rodger Bailey developed the Language and Behavior Profile in the early 1980's based on "meta-programs" in Neuro-Linguistic Programming. He tested this profile on large numbers of people in the workplace over several years showing that people's language patterns are also indicators of behavioral (motivation and working) preferences. Bailey developed a series of questions to which, regardless of the subject or answer, people respond unconsciously revealing their natural patterns.

You may have noticed that rewards will motivate some people while others are motivated by what they want to avoid. Some people immediately notice differences and always find the mistakes while others find similarities in the same situation. Some people are delighted to be given exact procedures to follow while others will be totally frustrated if they can not have several options. These and other preferences can be picked up in casual conversation. Most of these patterns occur on a continuum. Some people will prefer the extreme of the continuum but most people can do each pattern to some degree and might need each pattern at some time. One preference is not better than an other, just different. The profile suggests our preferred pattern which can change depending on the situation and we can also change over time.

These patterns act like filters which affect how we think, act and react. Understanding these filters can help us to understand ourselves and others. We might make ourselves understood more clearly, for example, by adjusting language to match the listener's preferred style. The profile also can suggest adjustments to our environment and our work processes. We can be more sensitive as supervisors, coworkers or subordinates by honoring differences in working style, for example when a supervisor allows a subordinate to use a process different from her own to get a project done. Paying attention to these patterns can be useful in recruiting the person who best matches a job profile. Recognizing these patterns takes skill and practice.

Areas of Application: Supervision, task assignment and motivation; Speaking & Presentations; Sales and customer service; Marketing research; Job profiling, writing ad copy, conducting interviews; Assessing corporate culture; Planning change processes; Team building; Instructional and Coaching strategies; Negotiation, conflict resolution, mediation; Establishing rapport; Improve relationships; Increase productivity;

Motivational Patterns

• Motivation Direction: Toward, Away From
  Is the person energized by their goals or by threats, problems to be solved or prevented?
  Toward language: "attain, obtain, achieve." Away From language: "avoid, get rid of, prevent."
• Motivation Level: Proactive, Reactive
  Does the person initiate or wait for others to initiate or need to think and understand before acting?
  Proactive language: "do it, get on with it." Reactive language: "wait, think about, understand."
• Criteria
  These are the "hot button" words that really get the person's attention. The words reflect values, what is important to us.
• Motivation Source: Internal, External
  Does the person provide their own motivation and rely on their own judgments or need others for motivation and to provide opinion and direction?
  Internal language: "Only you can decide . . ." External language: "so-and-so thinks . . ."
• Motivation Reason: Options, Procedures
  Does the person continually look for better ways to do things or do they prefer to follow established procedures?
  Internal language: "unlimited possibilities, alternatives, lots of choice." Procedures language: "the right way, tried and true, first . . . then . . . lastly."
• Decision Factors: Sameness, Difference
  How does the person react to change? How frequently do they need change? Are the motivated by a search for difference or for sameness? Are they motivated by evolution? revolution? both? or stability?
  Sameness language: "as you already know, like before, gradual improvement." Difference language: "new, totally different, one of a kind."

Working Patterns

• Working Scope: Specific, General
  Does the person handle the specific details or the big picture most naturally?
  Specific language: "specifically, precisely (give lots of details)." General language: "generally, essentially, the point is."
• Attention Direction: Self, Other
  Self people respond only to content while Other people pay attention to and respond to voice tone, body language or rapport level.
  Self language: focus on content, match their Criteria, Convincer Channel and Mode. Other language: focus on deepening rapport.
• Working Style: Independent, Proximity, Cooperative
  Is the person most productive when working alone, with other people around or nearby, or only with other people?
  Independent language: "you are totally responsible." Proximity language: "your part is, you will be in charge." Cooperative language: "all together, as a team, share responsibility, let's."
• Working Organization: Person, Thing
  Does the person organize their work by paying attention to people and their feelings or by concentrating on ideas, systems, process, things, products and tools.
  Person language: use personal pronouns and people's names. Thing language: use impersonal pronouns, "the thing is, the goal is, the marketing department will . . ."
• Stress Response: Feel, Choice, Think
  When in normal levels of stress, does the person stay in feelings, move in and out of feelings easily, or has no emotional response?
  Feeling language: "exciting, warm, happy, mind boggling, extraordinary." Choice Language: " coming back, it makes good sense and feels right." Thinking language: "the reality is, the hard facts."
• Behavior Rule Structure: My / My, My, No/My, My/Your
  Are the rules for behavior that the person applies to themselves and others My Rules for Me / My Rules for You? My Rules for Me / I Don't Care What Your Rules Are? No Rules or Don't Know Rules for Me / My Rules for You? or My Rules for Me / Your Rules for You?
  Language: match the thinking processes in specific contexts.
• Convincer Channel: See, Hear, Read, Do
  Convincer Mode: Number of Examples, Automatic, Consistent, Period of Time
  In what sensory channel does the person gather the information? How many times must the person experience the example in order to be convinced?
  Number of Examples Language: Use their number. Automatic language: "assume, benefit of the doubt." Consistent language: " each time you use it, daily, consistently." Period of Time language: match the period of time, "three weeks, two hours."

People: Rodger Bailey, Shelle Rose Charvet, Deanna Sager.

Publications:

• Rose Charvet, Shelle. (1997). Words That Change Minds: Mastering the Language of Influence, 2nd Edition. Dubuque, IO: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company.
  [also available in French and German and will soon be published in Spanish. The German edition is published by Junfermann Verlag and the French edition by Éditions pour tous, in their Success pour tous collection.]
• Rose Charvet, Shelle. (1995). Understanding & Triggering Motivation. Burlington, ON: Success Strategies. 6 Audio Cassettes (8 hour program).

Related Topics: Watch for Courses.

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Updated February 18, 2000