Turbocharged
Thanks for your comments. I am a little short of time right now so I will get back to you when I can with a more extensive answer if needed.
Firstly with TA, you are right, its use does seem to have diminished with some organisations. I actually like it and it has great parallels when you use it in discussions concerning cockpit and team gradients.
As regards NLP, I did not mean to be contradictory. Somebody who is proficient in the use of NLP can heavily influence the opinion and action of others. I spent 6 days with Richard Bandler the co-founder of NLP on one of his advanced programs and it was both excellent and scary at the same time. The undoubted ability to influence the decision making processes of others has both good and bad points.
The reason I said you will never 'get' all people to use it in the cockpit, is that because it is seen as being a particularly 'soft skill', there are those amongst us who fly that think it is a pile of horse do dah, its all psychobabble and there is nothing in it. Those types will never even try to apply the concepts of NLP either in the cockpit or in life in general, as a simple result of not believing it has any credibility. The more I have looked at its use in aviation, the more I consider that it would be very difficult to have two NLP practioners actively using the concepts of NLP on each other in the cockpit on a routine basis (It could be argued that the situation would not arise as a great part of NLP is actually on a self help basis and does not necessarily have to be applied to others.) Hence my comment that you may not 'want' everyone to be well versed in its principles.
You give an example of NLP in association with assertiveness. What was wrong with the initial approach to assertiveness that it should need an NLP graft? Assertiveness is another 'fad' but is actually one that can be used to develop insight and bring about behavioural change.
I would not agree that assertiveness is another fad but would agree with the last part of the sentence. What you rightly say are also outcomes of effective use of NLP. NLP is really just another tool to add to the skill set required to achieve your aims. It is a very powerful tool however, and with the example of assertiveness, the language you use (as per the concepts of NLP) can drastically improve your chance of getting your message across to another individual. NLP has a place in the cockpit, but the more I learn, the more I feel its usefulness has limits.
gotta go.
bye the way, ref that 'TV magician' do you mean PM?, everyone has to make a buck, and he makes loads out of it, but away from the TV glitz, he is a very serious and talented guy.