Robert Dilts Pyramid - How to Use the Logical Level Model: Applications and Examples

Hello everyone who is reading this article now! Lyudmila Redkina is in touch. How many of you have ever thought about why he lives the way he does? Why is there practically not enough money until salary? Why is someone more successful and has found themselves, while you are still searching? You may also wonder why you have what you have. And there can be an infinite number of such “whys”... I want to share a secret with you: there is an excellent model that helps you answer these and other burning questions for yourself. In the last article we examined Maslow’s pyramid in detail, in this article we will try to understand what the Dilts pyramid is and how to use the model of logical levels in life.

Curriculum Vitae

The name of Robert Dilts is not familiar to everyone, but he is the leader of the modern movement of NLP (neurolinguistic programming). His teachers were two recognized masters of psychology, John Grinder and Richard Bandler.

Robert Dilts' inexhaustible talents have virtually no boundaries and are relevant in many areas of human activity. This is not only modeling a person as an individual, but also consulting business partners.

Robert is also busy creating programs that relate to human-computer interaction. Other achievements of Robert Dilts include collaboration with many well-known companies:

• Air!
• Computer!
• Known to most film fans!
• Popular!
• Xerox Corporation!
• Italian!

The pyramid of Robert Dilts is not the only creation of the author; he recently completed the creation of a development project.

In addition, Dilts dealt with other global giants in various industries. More than 40 books on the general topic of NLP have been published from his pen. In short, the man has achieved many successes in his life and helped a large number of people solve their problems.

A few words about the creator of the pyramid, Robert Dilts

Robert Dilts was born in the USA on March 21, 1955. Robert is not only the creator of the Dilts pyramid, but also the author of numerous psychological books, an expert and coach in the field of NLP (neurolinguistic programming), a developer of various effective NLP techniques, the author of the book “Encyclopedia of Systemic NLP,” and a famous life coach.

Robert Dilts

Dilts attended the University of California. In 1975, he began to become actively interested in NLP. In 1977 he became a member of the presidential community of young scientists. In 1981, together with William Henley, he founded a software company that produced computer programs related to the interaction of computers and human mental strategies.

Inspired by the work of philosopher Bertrand Russell and the author of Steps to an Ecology of Mind, Gregory Bateson, Robert Dilts created his own method of logical levels of change. Dilts argues that a person's learning occurs at different levels or stages. As soon as an individual specifies his source of the problem, he will almost immediately be able to find the necessary resources to solve this problem.

If an individual changes something in his life at a higher level, this will inevitably lead to changes at lower levels. If a person changes something in his life at a low level, then it is far from a fact that such actions will lead to the necessary changes at higher levels. The Dilts Pyramid is a direct representation of this concept.

Definition of a pyramid

To understand the features of this mental construct, it is worth turning to its form. Any of us has seen real Egyptian structures of antiquity thanks to the Discovery TV channel, where documentaries dedicated to the secrets of the tombs of the pharaohs who lived many millennia ago were broadcast more than once.

There are several levels inside the real pyramids, and the top one is specially reserved for the tomb. Robert Dilts developed a form that also has “floors” - there are 6 of them. In fact, this is what Dilts’ pyramid in communication , relationships, and other aspects.

The creation of the author of books on NLP should be classified as a “construction” of a mental nature, since there is no full-fledged physical embodiment like the Egyptian tombs, but it is directly related to the mind.

Each such step symbolizes a shelf, or rather even a whole floor, where the internal components of a human individual or some kind of “collective mind” are located. There are already slight similarities with real-life Egyptian tombs.

Having a clear idea of ​​what exactly these levels characterize, as well as a thorough study of the problem, will allow you to consider in detail your own attitude to the problem and find the reasons why it seems unsolvable.

Level No. 3: abilities and capabilities

A person must decide what he is capable of. In fact, he can independently expand or significantly limit his abilities. The main thing is to find a reason and incentive to perform an action. Questions at this level can be formulated as follows:

• What are your personality strengths, and can you achieve results based on them?
• What abilities and skills do you need to acquire to achieve what you want?
• Can you take advantage of other people's abilities?

What is the need?

This mental “structure” has significant significance in such a field of human activity as psychology. There are situations when you are not happy with something - quality of life, work, environment, etc. A lot of people have encountered this, otherwise psychology itself (including specialists) would not exist at all.

So, the pyramid in question can be of significant benefit:

• Allows you to understand the situation that has developed not in the best way. When performing a rapid analysis, areas that require adjustment are discovered.
• It is possible to arrange existing problems in stages, and then begin to solve those located at the lowest tier. Thus, a person adheres to the desired direction, which is a bit like climbing the career ladder. That is, moving up allows you to take your life to a new level

Dilts's pyramid of logical levels is relevant for solving many issues - this is not only self-realization in life, including building a career and money matters. It promotes detailed development of personal qualities. And they are very valuable for building harmonious relationships with partners (colleagues) at work, friends (household or at the place of study), relatives, and new surroundings.

Level No. 1: Environment

The logical level pyramid is based on the real environment. It includes everything that exists in the internal and external environment. First of all, this is the person himself, the features of his appearance, clothing and other characteristics. These are also the people with whom we come into contact, material values ​​and other things. Characteristics of this level involve answering the following questions:

• Do you feel comfortable?
• What's going on in your environment?
• Where are you or want to be?
• What is your place in the environment, does it correspond to what you want?
• Who is close to you, who would you like to see and who would you weed out?
• Who around you helps you achieve your goals?

Levels of the Egyptian analogue

The search for answers to vital questions is reminiscent of wandering through a labyrinth with its endless confusing corridors and dead ends. Without any map or clue, finding the exit is very difficult, if possible at all. But as soon as you rise to a higher level, above the labyrinth, all the paths will be visible - entrances, exits.

Our life is like wandering through such a labyrinth - any problem cannot be solved qualitatively at the level of its creation. In other words, to solve the current problem, you should go up a floor or two. Only in this way can the best scenario for further developments be determined.

To this end, it is necessary to ask the right questions, which will push you to find the right answers. Many of us are simply unable to ask ourselves questions and get answers. For this purpose, it is best to use the creation of Robert Dilts.

All levels of the Dilts pyramid include main and secondary questions that help you understand your own course of life situations.

Level one – environment (reaction)

The lowest first level is based on each person's actual environment. This includes all components of the internal and external environment. Mainly it is the person himself, his features, appearance (including clothes) and other individual traits.

This should also include all other people with whom you have to deal, material wealth, opportunities, family and other things. That is, the main question at this level is “what do I have at the moment?” However, to understand the whole essence of this question alone is not enough, you should ask a number of others:

• Am I comfortable?
• What's going on in the environment?
• Where am I or want to be?
• What place do I occupy in my environment, do I feel comfortable with this and does it correspond to what I want?
• Who is next to me, who would I like to see, and who is better to weed out from my environment?
• Are there people around me helping me achieve a certain goal?

In a word, it covers all aspects of life and everyday life, including material well-being and interpersonal relationships (including family, partnerships and others).

Level two – behavior (actions)

At this level, the fundamental question is: what am I doing? That is, it allows us to consider the behavior of each individual. Moreover, this applies not only to action or inaction, but also to the achievement of any results.

Here is an illustrative example of how the pyramid of neuro-logical levels can be considered in the case when a person begins to complain about a lack of finances. Here his main problem is himself, and he simply does not have the desire or strength to admit that he devotes little time to work.

In addition, when asked what he does all day, his working hours are shortened. Instead of the required 8 hours, as happens with many other successful people, a person spends no more than 4. This indicates a lack of activity on his part, which would be aimed at developing professional qualities.

We can draw a certain conclusion - often the problem is caused by elementary laziness. Many people around the world suffer from this deficiency! This is where the mental pyramid actually helps – income cannot increase due to laziness!

It is worth asking yourself a question regarding what I share and receive. The obvious answer is why we have what we have. And here it’s natural to ask another relevant and interesting question: is life just like that, or are we ourselves responsible for everything that happens to us?

Level three – abilities (direction)

Here Robert Dilts' pyramid of logical levels is based on strategy and his main question is - what is my choice? In the life of every individual, the choice made is far from the last place. Moreover, this is influenced by various factors:

• health;
• target;
• to what extent a person is passionate about something, and so on.

Being on the third floor of your pyramid, you have the opportunity to analyze your own attitudes in detail and understand the reasons for failures in life. Some people prefer exhausting work in order to save money to buy housing or undergo training in another country. Many girls dream of a successful marriage.

Still others generally rely on finding a good job or starting their own business. It is also possible to make a choice in favor of playing sports or learning foreign languages ​​after a hard day. And it’s even easier to just drink beer while lying on the couch watching TV. At least that's what most people do.

The Dilts Pyramid can indeed provide a wide choice - the main thing is to understand what the soul strives for. This is the only way to achieve certain successes in analyzing your life position. A number of additional questions may also help:

• What strengths do I have and is it possible to rely on them to achieve the desired result?
• What skills and abilities can I acquire to achieve what I want?
• Can I benefit from the abilities and capabilities of others?

Each individual, first of all, needs to determine his abilities. Every person on earth can do this, both dramatically expanding them and seriously limiting them within reason. The main thing is to find the reason and incentive to action!

Level four – values ​​(motivations)

This level deals with beliefs and values. And here each person has his own opinions and judgments on this matter. But a number of life positions or even beliefs only work to the detriment. For example, how can a person become an entrepreneur if he considers himself honest, but is sure that all other businessmen steal money for their own profit?!

Another example is when an applicant believes that a place in a prestigious university is obtained only through connections. Therefore, there is no point in even trying to pass the entrance exams.

In other words, the Dilts pyramid at this level helps to reveal patterns and stereotypes of perception of various life circumstances that serve as an obstacle to achieving the goal.

Perhaps this is a more important level, allowing you to determine your own perception. From the above examples, it is easy to conclude that each person determines his own values, but they may not coincide with the perceptions of other individuals, which, in general, is natural. That is, some things are given more importance, others less, or they are completely ignored.

This refers to the so-called personality basis, and it is not so easy for a person to abandon it even under strong external influence. And the reason is that beliefs should be attributed to the unconscious perception of human essence. It controls the behavior of the individual, determining his life path.

At this level it is easy to get answers to questions like these:

• How important is this goal to me?
• How valuable will the result be?
• Will achieving a goal strengthen my beliefs in life?

Here one question begs to be asked, which should be classified as rhetorical statements: why do we actually believe in everything that our faith adheres to?

Level five – identification (life role)

The importance of this level is even higher than the previous one, since it has a noticeable impact on the floors below. This is about self-awareness and self-understanding. Through these definitions, Dilts' pyramid helps define one's faith.

Some people are confident in their genius as an artist or designer. Therefore, he can successfully demonstrate himself at exhibitions, competitions, competitions and shows. Another will consider himself a failure or mediocrity.

In other words, the fifth level allows a person to realize his place and what role he plays in this. The main thing is to evaluate yourself realistically - that is, not to underestimate your strengths and at the same time take into account your shortcomings that require further development.

What is characteristic is that the answers here do not lie on the surface. The role and life position of each person does not depend on gender characteristics, marital status, social status, procession. This category is much broader!

The following questions will help you understand the essence or at least partially have an idea of ​​what we are talking about:

• What is my attitude towards those individuals whose goals and beliefs coincide with mine?
• What is the value of my goals in relation to the people in my immediate circle?

Self-identification is a valuable quality for any of us! This factor is largely responsible for our many successes.

Level six – mission (spiritual attainment)

Here Dilts' logical pyramid is crowned with a level that facilitates the individual's awareness of his mission. A clear awareness of what he actually lives for is nothing more than a powerful tool that allows him to overcome various obstacles and difficulties that arise along the path of life.

At the same time, the mission must be expressed in simple and understandable terms. Complex, bombastic expressions do not work here because they do not carry any practical significance.

It is good to give one significant example here. The main principle of the successful activities of most companies located in the land of the rising sun is a clear understanding of values ​​and mission, taking into account the relevance for 100-200 years in the future. Is the life of every person on earth created for the purpose of wasting it?!

Thus, if you correctly approach the analysis of your life position in this world, without hiding from yourself, answering all the questions posed, you can identify certain gaps.

Self-improvement is the path to achieving a goal, and therefore success. After all, each of us strives for this in our souls. At the same time, a clear awareness of your weaknesses greatly facilitates this process.

Theory of origin and brief description of the pyramid

Robert Dilts is one of the psychologists who actively developed neurolinguistic programming (NLP). He created his idea of ​​logical levels under inspiration from the work of Gregory Bateson. After analyzing them, he determined that people perceive information and analyze it differently. This is what causes their failures or successes.

Having determined this, Dilts identified several logical levels, by understanding which a person can change his life for the better.

Understanding the neurological levels of Dilts is a powerful tool in self-coaching. It gives a person a unique opportunity to independently identify their mistakes and take the path of self-development:

• you will be able to ask yourself special questions, identifying situations that have an impact on your life;
• Once you deal with your problems, you will see where to go next to be satisfied with your life.

So what is this pyramid? Let us briefly describe this model in simple words – from lowest to highest.

1. Environment – ​​level of reaction.
2. Behavior is the level of action.
3. Abilities are the sources and direction of a person.
4. Values, beliefs - what a person allows himself, motivation.
5. Identity - who I am in this world, what role I occupy in society.
6. Mission is a person’s spiritual level, the meaning of life, vision.

At each level, a person stores his own information, experience and knowledge.

A number of additional questions

Giving answers to the key questions of each level, the Dilts pyramid allows you to objectively assess the picture of everything that is happening. However, everything is seen only in a general light; in order to clearly see the essence of what is happening and find the right solution to the existing problems, you should use the help of a number of additional questions:

• After I achieve my goal, what will others do? Will it please them or will it?
• In what direction should the personal perception of others change after achieving the goals?
• Will the result be fruitful for my colleagues and loved ones?
• If I achieve my goal, will my mission change?
• Can I do some simple things towards my goal within 48 hours?
• How will my loved ones react to my intentions? Will they be able to make appropriate adjustments if necessary?

Something similar is covered in many additional coaching classes.

Level #2: Behavior

The pyramid of logical levels also considers the behavior of the individual. This concerns a person's action or inaction, as well as the result. Answer the following questions for yourself:

• What are your actions at the moment and what is their result?
• What needs to be done to achieve the desired result?
• What are people doing who are authoritative in the field in which you would like to succeed?

Principle of operation

The overall picture is now becoming clearer, but how to work with the Dilts pyramid ? Theory is one thing, but practice is something else.

This is what we will discuss further. Questions at each level make it possible to understand where and when a change in values ​​and deviation from a given course occurred. These are a kind of signal beacons indicating at what level a person is stuck.

The basis of any coaching technique is deep introspection - solutions to problems do not lie on the surface, so you need to dig deep into yourself.

The algorithm for applying Robert Dilts’ creation in practice is as follows:

• Formulate the task clearly and clearly, but this must be done in writing. Our thoughts, of course, are material, but also fleeting, and therefore cannot always be taken seriously. But what is written by hand on paper will acquire tonality and serve as an impetus for action. Another option is to use a voice recorder.
• Determine on which “floor” the real problem is located.
• Now we should analyze the situation in relation to each of the levels. Having gradually reached the very top, it is worth imagining that the goal has already been achieved. You should enjoy this victory for at least a few minutes. But now to the point - at this moment you need to realize your feelings and determine whether a feeling of satisfaction has appeared.
• Now work with the Dilts pyramid should be carried out in the opposite direction - to the bottom of the “Egyptian structure”. This will allow you to make appropriate adjustments for each level. The result is that the plan will become more detailed, which makes it easy to identify a number of new useful values.

The value of Dilts' mental model lies in the fact that each level leads to the discovery of a cause-and-effect pattern. If you take asking questions seriously and getting answers to them, then a person will be able to fairly quickly review his own living conditions and circumstances.

In this case, you can do without outside help, although outside help will not hurt. Only for this you need to find a person in whom you have complete trust. His role will be limited to asking leading questions and recording answers.

Where is it used?

A. Einstein said a wonderful phrase: “No problem can be solved at the level at which it arose.”

Judging by this phrase, we need to climb at least 2 steps higher in the levels in the Dilts pyramid.

Let me give you an example: the habit of not getting up on time is located in “behavior.” We are looking for a solution 2 levels higher – based on “persuasion”. To get up on time, you need to rethink and decide to be responsible for your words.

This pyramid is a godsend for various business trainers, coaches and other specialists who work with people. The Dilts Pyramid is an excellent coaching tool for a leadership course. To find out how to develop further, where to find oneself in life, many people were helped by the described levels with questions and a brief narrative.

In practice, this pyramid is studied together with a specialist, each level is filled in, and when something does not suit you, the reason is identified at the previous levels.

It is important to remember the third secret of the pyramid: at higher levels, changes occur extremely slowly. Beliefs and values ​​do not change at the snap of a finger; a person must believe in something else.

Most often, this strategy for motivating staff is used in sales departments, offices, and at various companies, where managers have well defined the goal to which the entire team should go. By analyzing your subordinate's behavior, you can clearly see at which level he has problems.

The importance of physically recording tasks

In many coaching sessions, the Dilts Pyramid is the most important because it is used more frequently. What is typical is that one important and mandatory condition must be observed - all goals, including processing of results for each specific level, are recorded in writing. There is a completely natural and logical explanation for this:

• When writing a text, many essential points are learned more easily. As a result, it is easier to find a solution to a problem or a way out of the current situation. Perhaps this is why all students write notes during lessons - for better assimilation of incoming information.
• Writing text leads to the emergence of new nerve impulses that enter the brain. This contributes to a more precise formulation of the problem, which allows you to quickly find the right solution.
• In the process of writing a goal, it acquires visual outlines, which happens involuntarily. If an individual imagines himself in the place of a person with an already solved problem, then he acquires a significant incentive to action.
• As the task is recorded on paper, the vision of the situation sometimes changes. But if you have a factual description of the problem before your eyes, then it is possible to easily make the appropriate adjustments.

To understand all the features, you should immediately move from theory to practice, that is, devote time to answering the questions asked. Based on the degree of responsibility for such work and honesty with oneself, everything will begin to become clearer on its own. To do this, keep a piece of paper with a pen (pencil) or a voice recorder nearby.

How to pump yourself up the Dilts pyramid: training

In order to climb up the pyramid, you can read many books and articles about motivation, but it is better to take an online course, coaching or training once. Learning from a person who has walked this path will help you believe in yourself and achieve what exactly you want in this life. Under no circumstances should you listen to amateurs who shout at every corner: “Pay me and you’ll get rich!”

For me, such a person is Pavel Volya.

His online course “Improver Express” will teach 3 main things: initiative, action and efficiency.

The training consists of 23 chips. It was they who helped Volya turn from a simple beggar Penza guy into the highest paid presenter of the TNT channel and my favorite stand-up comedian. According to Forbes magazine, Pavel earns $2.5 million annually.

The course is suitable for both men and women from 16 years of age.

How the training will take place:

1. You receive theory and practical assignment.
2. Do it.
3. If you did it right, move on to the next one.

If you don’t mess around and do all your homework responsibly, then pleasant changes await you: at work, in your personal life, with relatives and friends. This will lead to more money, connections and success.

Cost – 15,000 rubles. with access forever, but there is also the opportunity to take the course for 3,000 rubles.

If within 2 weeks you decide that the course is not suitable for you, your money will be returned.

After registering for training, a girl from Pavel’s team will contact you and answer all your questions regarding the training. You will discuss payment terms with her.

Also in this article you will find reviews of all courses of the “Willpower” project from Pavel and Laysan Utyasheva.

Solving unsolvable problems

The Dilts Pyramid is an effective mechanism that allows you to solve problems that remain relevant over a long period of time. A person may be aware of a difficulty and even understand how it interferes with his life. But no concrete actions are being taken to fix the problem. In order to get the ball rolling, you need to resort to the help of Dilts technology. It is believed that the solution to the problem is two levels higher. The easiest way to understand this is with a specific example:

• You are constantly late - for work, for a meeting, and so on. You are never on time.
• This problem is at the behavioral level. This means that its solution should be sought in the plane of values.
• Thus, you must learn to become a man of your word, otherwise, due to your lack of punctuality, others will lose trust in you.

Level #4: Beliefs and Values

The pyramid of logical levels pays special attention to a person’s worldview. Perhaps this is the most significant provision of the concept under consideration. We are talking about what is good for a person and what is bad, what has the greatest value for him and what he does not attach importance to. We can say that this is a kind of personality basis, which is not so easy for a person to abandon even under strong influence from the outside. And all because beliefs are in most cases the unconscious, which controls behavior and determines the path of life. This level requires answering the following questions:

• Why is a particular goal important to you at this time?
• What is the value of the end result?
• Will achieving the result help strengthen your beliefs?

Understanding the logical levels of life

The logic level model, despite its simplicity, can lead a beginner into a dead end. However, you shouldn’t put off introspection. If you want to change things, the logical level pyramid will definitely help you. An example of a situation analysis looks like this:

• Environment. Where do you work, what does your workplace look like, where do you live, what surrounds you every day, what kind of people are around you, what is the atmosphere around you?
• Behavior. What activities fill your everyday life, how is your time planned, how much time do you spend on work and personal meetings, how do you behave at work, in your family and among friends, how would you characterize yourself?
• Capabilities. What are the strengths of your character, in what business do you have no equal, for what do you lack the skills?
• Beliefs. What is most valuable to you, what characteristics do you like in others?
• Identity. How do you imagine yourself, in what conditions did you grow up, what roles do you play in the presence of different people, what are your aspirations, how does your life differ from the lives of others?
• Mission. Formulated based on the analysis of previous levels.

Neurological Levels - Identity

In the System, Man is a PERSONALITY.

A person lives in his idea of ​​himself.

• What am I?
• Who am I?
• What I want?
• What is most important about me and DOES NOT CHANGE?
• How am I different from other people?

The answers to these questions create PERSONALITY.

Eckhard Tolle calls this set of stories about oneself EGO. He claims that it is an artificial manifestation of the workings of the mind. The real ESSENCE of a person is in the depths and does without words.

I represent PERSONALITY

of a person as a set of thinking patterns that he is used to using. His thoughts about himself and the world, including his values ​​and beliefs, form his PERSONALITY.

How to write a book: tips, where to start and how to choose a topic

Level #6: Mission

The Dilts pyramid is crowned with the highest level, which implies a person’s awareness of his mission. Understanding what a person lives for is a powerful incentive to overcome obstacles and difficulties that arise in the process of life. Moreover, the mission should not be voiced in complex, high-flown expressions that do not carry any practical value. It should be formulated in simple and understandable words.

Learn to sort problems into pieces

Coaching techniques are a great tool for those who cannot solve any problem. The Dilts theory teaches you to sort the situation into pieces, and more specifically, into the levels of the pyramid. So, quite often people come to trainings with the problem that no one likes them, that they do not enjoy the favor of others. An example of analyzing the situation and finding a solution is given in the table.