Clean Language

1. Clean Language: Unveiling Inner Worlds

Clean Language amounts to a new way of thinking about the way people think, with profound implications and powerful effects.

A New Perspective. Clean Language offers a unique approach to communication, focusing on understanding how individuals construct their internal realities. It's a method that prioritizes the speaker's perspective, minimizing the influence of the listener's assumptions and biases. This approach can lead to profound insights and transformative changes.

Simple Yet Powerful. The core of Clean Language involves a set of carefully crafted questions designed to elicit information without imposing the questioner's viewpoint. These questions, combined with attentive listening, create a space for the speaker to explore their thoughts and feelings in a structured, yet open-ended way. The simplicity of the questions belies their power to unlock deeper understanding.

Versatile Application. Clean Language is not limited to therapy; it extends to various fields, including coaching, management, education, and even everyday conversations. Its principles can enhance communication, foster collaboration, and empower individuals to make better decisions based on clearer self-awareness.

2. The Power of Questions Over Advice

It is not the answer that enlightens, but the question.

The Limits of Advice. While the urge to offer advice is natural, it often falls short because it's based on the advisor's experiences and perspectives, not the advisee's. Advice can be ineffective if it addresses the wrong problem, highlights the wrong benefits, or clashes with conflicting internal desires. Clean Language offers an alternative by empowering individuals to find their own solutions.

Empowering Self-Discovery. Instead of providing answers, Clean Language facilitators ask questions that encourage self-reflection and problem-solving. By using the speaker's own words and avoiding assumptions, these questions help individuals tap into their inner resources and develop solutions that are perfectly tailored to their unique circumstances.

Active Listening. The foundation of Clean Language is active listening, a skill that involves paying close attention to the speaker's words, both verbal and non-verbal. By resisting the urge to interrupt or offer opinions, the listener creates a safe space for the speaker to explore their thoughts and feelings without judgment.

3. Metaphor: The Language of the Unconscious

Metaphor, that’s how the whole fabric of mental interconnections holds together.

Thinking in Metaphors. Metaphors are not just literary devices; they are fundamental to how we think and make sense of the world. We use metaphors to describe abstract concepts, emotions, and experiences, often without even realizing it. Recognizing and exploring these metaphors can provide valuable insights into our underlying beliefs and assumptions.

Unlocking Deeper Meaning. Clean Language questions are particularly effective at exploring metaphors because they help individuals bring their unconscious thoughts into conscious awareness. By asking questions like "What kind of X is that X?" or "That's X like what?", facilitators can help speakers uncover the hidden meanings and associations embedded in their language.

Personal Metaphors. While some metaphors are widely shared, each individual also has their own unique set of personal metaphors that reflect their life experiences and perspectives. Exploring these personal metaphors can lead to a deeper understanding of oneself and one's place in the world.

4. Exquisite Attention: The Key to Understanding

The quality of your attention determines the quality of other people’s thinking.

Dismantling the Wall. Effective communication is often hindered by assumptions and preoccupations that prevent us from truly hearing what others are saying. Expert Clean Language users strive to dismantle this "wall" by actively checking assumptions and setting aside their own agendas.

Checking Assumptions. We all make assumptions, but they can lead to misunderstandings. Clean Language provides a structured way to identify and challenge these assumptions, creating space for alternative perspectives. By asking questions like "What kind of X is that X?", facilitators can help speakers clarify their meaning and avoid misinterpretations.

Managing Attention. In today's fast-paced world, it's easy to become distracted and lose focus. Clean Language requires cultivating the skill of "being fully present," setting aside preoccupations, and giving the speaker undivided attention. This creates a more conducive environment for clear communication and deeper understanding.

5. The Core Questions: Names, Addresses, and Relationships

(And) what kind of X (is that X)? (And) is there anything else about X? (And) where is X? or (And) whereabouts is X?

The Name and Address Questions. These three questions form the foundation of Clean Language, providing a simple yet powerful framework for gathering information. They help to clarify what something is (its name), where it is (its address), and what its qualities are.

Getting Specific. By asking these questions repeatedly, facilitators can encourage speakers to elaborate on their experiences and provide more details. This process helps to make abstract concepts more tangible and brings hidden information into conscious awareness.

Building a Foundation. The Name and Address Questions can be used in almost any situation, from casual conversations to formal interviews. They provide a starting point for deeper exploration and help to establish a shared understanding between speaker and listener.

6. Sequence, Source, and Intention: Mapping the Inner Landscape

The chain of destiny can only be grasped one link at a time.

Beyond the Basics. While the Name and Address Questions are essential, Clean Language also includes other powerful tools for exploring the inner landscape. Sequence Questions help to clarify the order in which things happen, Source Questions uncover the origins of symbols and attributes, and Intention Questions explore desired outcomes and necessary conditions.

Uncovering Hidden Connections. By using these questions in combination, facilitators can help speakers to map out their internal processes, identify patterns, and gain a deeper understanding of their motivations and goals. This process can lead to new insights and transformative changes.

The Complete Set. The twelve basic Clean Language questions provide a comprehensive toolkit for gathering information, facilitating self-discovery, and promoting change. Mastering these questions is essential for becoming a skilled Clean Language facilitator.

7. Modeling Cleanly: Discovering Hidden Expertise

The true voyage of discovery lies not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.

Beyond Copying. Modeling is more than just copying someone's behavior; it's about understanding their internal processes and how they achieve specific results. Clean Language provides a powerful way to model others by eliciting their thoughts, feelings, and strategies without imposing your own assumptions.

Building a Mental Diagram. As a Clean Language facilitator, you are essentially building a mental diagram of the speaker's experience, noting the symbols, attributes, and relationships that make up their internal landscape. This model allows you to ask targeted questions and help the speaker fill in crucial details.

Self-Modeling. The process of being asked Clean Language questions also encourages the speaker to self-model, to become more aware of their own thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. This self-awareness can lead to new insights, improved skills, and a greater sense of control over one's life.

8. Transforming Metaphors: Catalyzing Change

First comes thought; then organization of that thought into ideas and plans; then transformation of those plans into reality.

The Power of Metaphoric Change. Because metaphors are so deeply connected to our thoughts and feelings, changes within the metaphoric landscape can often lead to real-life changes. By helping individuals explore and transform their metaphors, Clean Language facilitators can catalyze profound and lasting transformation.

The Facilitator's Role. The facilitator's role is not to impose their own metaphors or try to force change, but rather to create a safe and supportive space for the speaker to explore their own inner world. By asking Clean Language questions and listening attentively, facilitators can help speakers discover their own solutions and make changes that are perfectly tailored to their needs.

Ethical Considerations. It's important to remember that Clean Language is not a tool for manipulation. Facilitators should always respect the speaker's autonomy and ensure that they have a clear understanding of the process and its potential outcomes.

9. Maturing Changes: Nurturing Lasting Transformation

Imagination is the beginning of creation.

Beyond the Initial Shift. A change in metaphor is often just the beginning. To ensure that the change is lasting and impactful, it's important to "mature" it by exploring its implications and integrating it into the speaker's overall landscape.

Deepening and Extending. Maturing a change involves asking Clean Language questions about the change itself, its effects on other symbols, and its effects over time. This process helps to solidify the new understanding and make it more resistant to setbacks.

The Long View. Maturing changes is an investment in long-term transformation. By taking the time to nurture the seedling, facilitators can help speakers grow a strong and resilient plant that can withstand the challenges of everyday life.

10. Clean in Action: Stories of Success

The marksman hits the target partly by pulling, partly by letting go.

Real-World Impact. Clean Language has been used successfully in a wide range of contexts, from project leadership in the pharmaceutical industry to conflict resolution in Northern Ireland. These stories demonstrate the power of Clean Language to unlock potential, improve communication, and facilitate lasting change.

Inspiring Examples. The success stories highlight the versatility of Clean Language and its ability to address a variety of challenges. They also provide concrete examples of how Clean Language principles can be applied in different settings.

A Growing Movement. As more people discover the power of Clean Language, its applications continue to expand. These success stories are just a glimpse of the potential for Clean Language to transform individuals, teams, and organizations.

11. Beyond Words: Space and Embodiment

It requires a very unusual mind to undertake the analysis of the obvious.

The Importance of Space. Human beings live in bodies and experience the world through space. Clean Language recognizes the significance of space by encouraging speakers to locate their symbols and feelings in their physical environment.

Embodied Experience. By paying attention to the spatial relationships between symbols, facilitators can help speakers to connect with their embodied experience and gain a deeper understanding of their internal landscape. This can lead to new insights and transformative changes.

Respecting the Speaker's Space. Clean Language facilitators are careful to respect the speaker's personal space, both physical and metaphorical. By avoiding assumptions and allowing the speaker to guide the process, facilitators create a safe and supportive environment for exploration and discovery.

12. Clean Conversations: Ethical and Effective Communication

Just remember: people tend to resist that which is forced upon them.

Clean Intentions. Clean Language is not just about asking the right questions; it's also about having the right intentions. Facilitators should always be mindful of their motivations and ensure that they are acting in the best interests of the speaker.

Ethical Considerations. It's important to obtain the speaker's permission before exploring sensitive topics or attempting to facilitate change. Clean Language should never be used as a tool for manipulation or coercion.

A Spectrum of Cleanliness. In the real world, no interaction is perfectly Clean. However, by striving to minimize assumptions and maximize the speaker's autonomy, facilitators can create more effective and ethical communication.

Last updated: March 22, 2025