Sleight of Mouth: The Magic of Conversational Belief Change

Sleight of Mouth is about the magic of words and language. Language is one of the key representational systems from which we build our mental models of the world, and has a tremendous influence upon how we perceive and respond to the world around us.

As Sigmund Freud pointed out, "Words and magic were in the beginning one and the same thing." The right words at the right time can be uplifting, changing the course of someone's life for the better; opening up new vistas and possibilities. Unfortunately, words can also confuse and limit us as easily as they can empower us. The wrong words at the wrong time can be hurtful and damaging.

Sleight of Mouth patterns come from the study of how language has been, and can be, used to make an impact on people's lives and emotions. This book represents over twenty years of study and practice with respect to the influence of language and its potential to change our lives. Author Robert Dilts (whose other works include Visionary Leadership Skills, Strategies of Genius, Dynamic Learning and Modeling With NLP) has examined the language patterns of people such as Socrates, Abraham Lincoln, Mahatma Gandhi, Adolph Hitler, Milton Erickson and Jesus of Nazareth. Sleight of Mouth patterns are made up of verbal categories and distinctions by which key beliefs can be established, shifted or transformed through language.

Generally, Sleight of Mouth patterns can be characterized as "verbal reframes" which influence beliefs, and the mental maps from which beliefs have been formed. These patterns provide a powerful tool for persuasion and conversational belief change. This book is about the power of words to be either helpful or harmful, the distinctions that determine the type of impact words will have, and the language patterns through which we can transform harmful statements into helpful ones.

About the Author
Dilts, Robert: - Robert Dilts has had a global reputation as a leading behavioral skills trainer and business consultant since the late 1970s. A major developer and expert in the field of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), Robert has provided coaching, consulting and training throughout the world to a wide variety of individuals and organizations. Robert has pioneered the principles and techniques of Success Factor ModelingTM, and has authored numerous books and articles about how they may be applied to enhance leadership, creativity, communication and team development. Past corporate clients and sponsors have included Apple Inc., Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, The Old Mutual, Société Générale, Bank of America, The World Bank, Alitalia, Telecom Italia, RAI Italia, Lucasfilms Ltd., Ernst & Young, AT Kearney, Salomon, The American Society for Training and Development, EDHEC Business School and the State Railway of Italy. He has lectured extensively on coaching, leadership, organizational learning and change management, making presentations and keynote addresses for The International Coaching Federation (ICF), HEC Paris, The United Nations, The European Forum for Quality Management, The World Health Organization, The Milton H. Erickson Foundation, Harvard University and the International University of Monaco. In 1997 and 1998, Robert supervised the design of Tools for Living, the behavior management portion of the program currently used by Weight Watcher's International. Robert was an associate professor at the ISVOR Fiat School of Management for more than fifteen years, helping to develop programs on leadership, innovation, values and systemic thinking. From 2001-2004 he served as chief scientist and Chairman of the Board for ISVOR DILTS Leadership Systems, a joint venture with ISVOR Fiat (the corporate university of the Fiat Group) that delivered a wide range of innovative leadership development programs to large corporations on a global scale. A co-founder of Dilts Strategy Group, Robert was also founder and CEO of Behavioral Engineering, a company that developed computer software and hardware applications emphasizing learning strategies and behavioral change. He is also co-founder, with Dr. Stephen Gilligan, of the IAGC (International Association for Generative Change). Robert has a degree in Behavioral Technology from the University of California at Santa Cruz.