“Calibrate on behavior”
At first glance this presupposition seems to contradict the “People are not their behaviors”. I agree it certainly does.
Recognition of certain behaviors enables a practitioner to understand someone on a deep level. Calibration means measurement, in this case by observation. Essentially you are employing sensory acuity skills to determine a clients emotional state. Since words can sometime be confusing it can also provide a wealth of non-verbal information directly from the primary source, the unconscious. Calibration is a fact-finding mission.
It is observation without interpretation or mistakenly assigning meaning via our own biased view of reality. For example the classic so called “closed” posture of arms folded may simply mean that the room is too cold. After further observations sensory acuity signals may mean something entirely different and unique to that particular person. Non-judgmental sensory acuity creates open communication and is an essential NLP skill. People watching has taken on a new dimension by applying the methodology of sensory acuity. It also become a useful tool to explain the real motivation behind some of my children’s behavior.
This can be an interesting exercise when used in a social setting such as a coffee shop or pub.