Ask Sue Knight

dear Sue, i am writing my final thesis for a Masters degree in business administration. The topic is "Modeling as a tool for knowledge management in organizations". My focus lies on the transfer of implicit knowledge which is hard to articulate, transfer, identify and standardise. Furthermore it is the base or essence of any skill one might have. I want to ask you about your opinion about the possiblities and limitations (what skills can be modeled?) of modeling as a knowledge transfer tool.

Many thanks and with best regards from Austria,
Clemens

Dear Clemens, modelling is exactly that.. a tool for accessing the implicit knowledge and skill that is accessed intuitively, unconsciously and therefore usually taken for granted and not even coded as excellence.. NLP is the process of modelling that excellence by learning how to benchmark the hidden processes as well as the overt ones... I don’t therefore know of any skills that can not be modelled...

Very sincerely,
Sue Knight

Dear Sue, first of all thanks a lot for your answer. You already made my day! NLP is the process of modelling excellence. As you said there might not be any skill which could not be codified/transferred/modelled. But I do have the problem to scientifically proof that it really works. Besides that I honestly am sceptical about the profundity of modelling. Please let me explain it with an example. Let‘s say I want to model the skill of playing basketball like Michael Jordan. I can set up a perfect modelling training program but it still will not enable me to actually play like him. Therefore I do lack years of experience and training which cannot be substituted by modelling, can it? This problem also arises in the business world. Would you agree with me that in most cases modelling is not a perfect tool for "knowledge transfer" but more of a good base for enhanced and faster learning? Moreover might it right that modelling works out the most for intellectual skills (like "creative thinking" for instance) only? If you know any useful literature I would heartily appreciate your recommendations. I‘m already into the modeling-topic for 6 months and basically have concentrated on Robert Dilts‘ papers and books.

All the best and kind regards from Austria,

Dear Clement, they are good questions.. NLP is a process of eliciting the structure of excellence; strategies for success.. so there may be pieces that are dependent on training and practice but there will be pieces that are to do with the thinking processes. So yes there might be a limitation if you don’t have the physical elements that have come with training over time.. but what you can get is the mental strategy that sometimes overrides the physical aspects.. Where I have found it very useful is to model something that maps onto my own goals so for example I am 60 years old, a keen cyclist and about to embark on some women’s races this year, possibly some time trials.. so what I am doing is finding someone of similar age who has done just this and had the sort of success that I would like.. What I will do is to then take on their strategies to explore how that takes me towards my goals.. So in essence modelling is not about mimicking someone exactly but about finding the strategies that will make the difference.. and regarding Michael Jordan.. well if I were to model him and take on his strategies I would be a much better basketball player that I would be without them.. I hope that helps you..

Very sincerely, Sue Knight

Dear Sue,

thank you very much for your quick answer. You absolutely clarified an aspect for me which I was aware of but not absolutely sure whether it would meet my scientic requirements. I therefore do have the drive I need to finish my thesis. It would have been very interesting for me - and even more flourishing - to get in touch with you earlier.

If you don’t mind I would like to quote a little of your two mails in my conclusion-part. I actually already quoted you in regard with your books "NLP at work", "NLP and leadership" and the "Personal selling" - hope that’s ok with you. Hence an ultimate question arises: Is Sue Spencer the same person as Sue Knight? hihi...sorry to ask that but it´s required for "scientific reasons" as my Professor explained.

Well, again: thank you so much! All the best for your cycling and furthermore a lot of success and fun with NLP!

Very sincerely,
Clemens

Dear Clemens, I have been thinking about your question some more too.. and yes Sue Spencer is married name but when I got married (10 years ago) we decided that I would keep using the Knight name as I was known by that already and my husband is Colin Spencer sometimes known as the Fish Detective!!

Warm regards, Sue and yes you can quote me..