February
13th 2017 saw an enthusiastic group of civil servants, NLP practitioners ,
managers, friends and interested people gather at the beautiful offices of CAOP
on the Lange Voorhout, to witness the launch of Joan Hoexum’s book ’”Tomorrow
is Today”.
For 20 years a civil servant at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Joan decided
in 2015 to change course, inspired by the huge potential of NLP she discovered
whilst looking for answers in her life. Now speaker, NLP trainer and coach she
has written a book creating a link between the changing role of civil servants
and how NLP can help them deal with the many challenges they face.
Bert Jansen
spoke first, providing with his 30 years experience, the background of the many
changes undergone and underway at Foreign Affairs as the modernisation of
Diplomacy is pursued, with the resulting insecurities it provokes.
Sacha
Loeven, civil servant and NLP practitioner then took the floor to convey what
she saw as some of the main advantages of NLP:
-
That
by accepting we all use a different model of the world, it is easier to accept
differences
-
That
everyone has a positive intention and that looking for it diffuses tension
-
That
first rapport is needed before communication can be efficient
-
For
better delivery of our message, we need to use the same language as the person
we are talking to
-
We
need to be aware of limiting beliefs, and question their relevance
-
The
power of asking the right questions
Finally it
was time for Joan to share her story, her journey from civil servant to NLP
expert. As she said, changes are constant and unavoidable. A few years ago she
was feeling stuck and frustrated and forced to ask herself some fundamental
questions about what she wanted out of life, and what she needed to change.
This brought her to NLP. “I understood I had choices” she said, “and NLP offers
instruments for choice”. She studied passionately, working at times directly
with one of the founders of NLP, Richard Bandler. Through NLP she learnt to listen better, a vital key for
personal development and discovered more efficiency, hence the book.
She
connected with local and international NLP practitioners and hopes that sharing
their thoughts and her story, will inspire others.
When asked
about the meaning of the title she leaves it up to us to interpret as we see
best...Be prepared for tomorrow… Do not postpone to tomorrow what you can
accomplish today…
Joan then
handed over the first sample of her book to Jan Willem Kok, Director of POSG
who had accompanied her transition from Foreign Affairs.
Her book is
accessible, timeless and inspiring to all.
You can
find it at http://www.boekenbestellen.nl/boek/morgen-is-vandaag/9789492575173
