Using the S.C.O.R.E. in practice – with individuals

To
really get the best from the S.C.O.R.E. it needs to be more than a
cerebral paper-and-pen exercise.  Instead, lay the timeline on
the
floor and mark out Causes, Symptoms, Outcomes and Effects as spaces
along it. Resources should be somewhere off the timeline.

The
model will have more impact if the explorer physically steps into each
location as they investigate it. This helps to physically associate the
person into the state and frame of mind of each component of the model,
making it easier to access all the information at each stage.

By
walking through the sequence from Causes, through Symptoms and Outcomes
to Effects, the explorer will begin to condition in a metaphorical
sequence of moving from 'problem' to 'solution'. They can step off the
timeline and gather what they need from the Resource location any time
it feels right.

The 'Dancing S.C.O.R.E. Format' developed by
Judith DeLozier takes this principle even deeper into the kinaesthetic
realm, inviting the client to adopt the posture and movement that feels
characteristic of each stage. By moving repeatedly through the sequence
of postures from problem to solution, the client begins to internalise
the direction of change 'in the muscle'.

A skilled NLP
practitioner will be able to make the process more effective by
anchoring the 'positive' stages (Resources, Outcomes and Effects) as
appropriate. You could also use embedded suggestion and hypnotic
tonality in your questions to help the client associate more fully into
these stages.

Using the S.C.O.R.E. in practice – with teams

If
a management team wants to assess where they are now, and where they
want to get to – or indeed if they want to draw a line under past
failures and set some new objectives – the S.C.O.R.E. model provides a
ready-made format. It's best done with an independent facilitator who
can guide the process without having an emotional stake in the content.

In my experience, most managers are not interested in the
intricacies of NLP, but just want something that helps them to move
forward. The S.C.O.R.E. model is well suited to the task because it is
relatively jargon-free.

You don't even have to make the concept of a
timeline explicit – just arrange four flip charts in a line to
represent Causes, Symptoms, Outcomes and Effects, with another flip off
to one side for Resources, and you have an implicit timeline. As the
team members move from one flip to another to record the information
they get from each stage, they will unconsciously internalise the idea
of progress along a timeline even if it's never explicitly mentioned (I
picked up this tip from NLP business consultant Colin Reeve).

This being the UK, you may also welcome some ideas on how to 
prevent a team problem-solving format that starts with examining
'symptoms' from turning into a morale-sapping whinge fest? Your
introduction will set the tone for the rest of the session, so
emphasise the desired end result of clarifying the desired outcome and
identifying the positive consequences. The more you know about the
values of the team, the more you can encourage their 'towards'
motivation. If it's a particularly 'away from' team, you can emphasise
the consequences of not focusing on the desired outcomes and effects.

You
can encourage a positive mindset before the session even starts, by
asking participants in their invitation to come in with examples of
what is already working well in the organisation or team.