Ecology is the study of consequence. Whenever something changes, there are consequences — and ecology is the process of checking what will be gained or lost as a result of that change.
In NLP, an ecology check is performed before and after any intervention to ensure that the results of a change increase overall choice rather than simply solving one problem at the expense of creating another.
Ecology can be examined at three levels:
- Individual — what will the person gain or lose?
- Environment — what will the people and systems around them gain or lose?
- Planet — what are the wider consequences?
The standard ecology questions are: "What will happen if you do get this outcome? What will happen if you don't? What won't happen if you do? What won't happen if you don't?"
See also: What are the Keys to Achievable Outcomes? | What is NLP?