Anyone interested in #CleanLanguage? Or language-geekery generally, or communication for collaboration, learning or healing?

Online thing this Saturday, 2 May 2026, with Pascal Clarkson leading a "deep dive" on how you might use Clean Questions to "Pull Back Time". Pascal's kind of a colleague of mine and he knows a load of interesting stuff I don't know, so I was thinking I'll probably go. I asked if there's pre-requisites for this sesh and he said no, it should be pretty beginner-friendly.

There's a link on the event info to a couple of related articles by James Lawley, that's got me thinking about the topic. Humans often tell stories going forward in time, but what might we find out by asking what happened before the start of this story? Or, when we want future outcome X, what would need to happen before X can happen?

10 Euros, 2-hour session.

https://www.tickettailor.com/events/artocraft/2116960

#events #language #learning

New blog post from my colleague Marian, with a few little stories of metaphors that turned out to persist & be useful: for letting go of resentment, picking up on warning signs, and other skills!

https://cleanlearning.co.uk/blog/discuss/metaphors-that-last-a-lifetime

#metaphors #CleanLanguage

Bit short notice for this one, sorry about that, but for anyone curious about this stuff I'm learning (Clean Language / Systemic Modelling), there's a free webinar later today!

If you're interested, you can sign up either via this page, or via the Clean in Montana web site which you can click through to from the listing.

https://cleancampus.circle.so/c/clean-learning-events/free-taster-webinar-intro-to-clean-language-systemic-modeling

Or there are a few more similar things over the next few months with different themes.

#CleanLanguage #SystemicModelling #CaitlinWalker

New year, new people arriving here... new re-intro post!

Jennifer here, old queer writer / musician / geek, based in Nottingham, England.

Music-wise, I write songs and play bass, as well as having violin skills and occasionally writing for orchestra. Latest just-for-fun music thing is practising on drum kit when I get the chance: nothing flash, just playing along to songs I like.

A big learning-interest for me right now is Systemic Modelling, a set of tools for catalysing collective intelligence in groups.

Work-wise, my main thing currently is the organisational side of (mostly online) courses for people to learn about SysMod. Being in & around all that is great for my own learning, so I'm pretty happy with work at the moment.

Covid-careful. Still following the science updates. Recently did a long blog post about having and mostly-recovering-from Long Covid.

Used to be a regular at BiCon the UK bi conference/ convention; dipped in again in 2025 when it came to Nottingham.

This year, I want to do more blog-writing and music-recording... and maybe catalyse a covid-careful social meetup of some kind, although limits of energy & time might hinder that wish.

In terms of party politics, right now I'm liking the look of what the Green Party are up to.

I've been on Fedi since late 2022 when I realised Twitter was headed down the dumper, and overall I really like it here.

Sometimes I post about little bits of sewing-mending I've done or button badges I've designed, or the odd pic (with alt text) of a tree or flower or moss.

Lived in Leiden NL for a few years as a child, went to school there, still speak some Dutch. I never seemed to see any Dutch tweets back in the Twitter days, I suppose because the algorithm there was segregating the languages. I like how the Fediverse software doesn't do that, thereby assisting me to keep that bit of my brain ticking over :-)

If you want to know more, ask &/or follow :-)

#intro #introduction #writing #music #queer #LGBTQ #bisexual #BiCon #CovidCareful #SystemicModelling #CleanLanguage #GreenParty #Nottingham #England #Leiden #BassGuitar #violin #songs #Songwriting

Experimenting with clean language this week. I will use these 2 questions to start:

"We need to be more 'strategic': What kind of strategy.

"This could be too risky": What kind of risk, etc.

It reveals assumptions and it forces specificity.

And:
"What would you like to have happen?"

Shifts from problem to possibility. Uses their framework, not yours. Invites solutions instead of complaints.

Then stop. Two questions.

#cleanlanguage #agile #lean

Clean Questions allow the receiver to answer in whatever way they want. They are designed to be minimally constraining. So together we have the freedom to think unfettered thoughts.

These moments of safety, belonging and freedom can be the antidote to microaggressions and, over time and across communities, can inspire capability so that we can live and work at our best in groups.

#SystemicModelling, #CleanLanguage

https://youtu.be/ca_obqgAKfM?si=vk5c8wPvta3QYrGc

Clean Questions, when applied in teams, have a number of benefits.

Firstly, they create the conditions for safety. They keep me safe from any unconscious bias I have about you. They keep you safe from my projections, advice, misunderstanding and premature evaluation. A clean question a day keeps assumptions at bay! #cleanlanguage #SystemicModelling

Applying David Grove's Clean Language, initially to children unable to go to school, this TEDx tells the story of how I developed a universal language of inquiry for developing collective trust across teams and organisations. It shares the unexpected business and personal benefits of fostering intrinsic motivation and deeply trusting the people you live and work with. #DramaFree, #CleanLanguage, #SystemicModelling

https://youtu.be/aVvcU5gG4KU?si=ZIXUoIIomN5PJlL_

Anyone working in #hospice care in the UK, this might be of interest: pilot courses for teams of 6 to 12 people, on how to use "Clean Language" in conversations about end-of-life care.

1 day in-person, or 2 x half a day if online. CPD certificate.

"Clean Language" is about how you can talk with people and listen to people without accidentally bringing in your own baggage when you didn't mean to.

This skill can help you reach clearer/deeper understanding of other people's worlds. And it can mean you're less likely to set off unnecessary disagreements, so that conversations go more smoothly.

Pilot aimed at South West, Yorkshire & North East. I asked Judy why those areas in particular, and she said those are areas where they're building up "clusters of expertise", but actually it could be any UK end-of-life group.

(I slightly know Judy from having been to a little community event of hers about Clean Language in healthcare. And we have colleagues in common.)

https://conversaurus.com/clean-for-uk-hospices/

#SouthWestEngland #Yorkshire #NorthEastEngland #healthcare #HospiceCare #death #dying #EndOfLife #communication #CleanLanguage #England #UK

@neil

I'm currently learning how to do Systemic Modelling, which is about facilitating groups to draw on collective intelligence. I love it!

If you wanted a non-group-focused related thing, I might suggest starting with Clean Interviewing. Could imagine that being useful in a legal context (e.g. finding out what clients would ideally like to have happen), because it's all about not accidentally mixing in your own assumptions with the other person's answers. But it isn't specifically a law thing - it's got lots of uses.

https://cleanlearning.co.uk/training/detail/clean-interviewing

#CleanLanguage