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Clean Language for group facilitators

Create richer, more engaging conversations by combining David Grove's precision question set with individual metaphors

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Course overview

A remarkable new tool for your facilitation toolkit

As facilitators, we're used to working in the midst of uncertainty, ambiguity, confusion, and even conflict. 


We're comfortable with the idea that everyone will have their own unique viewpoint on any issue, and the point is to ensure that all voices are heard.


And - especially if we're steeped in Liberating Structures, Agile, Technology of Participation or similar approaches - we're able to 'trust the process', confident that whatever happens will be the only thing that could have happened.  


But Clean Language offers something remarkable, even for experienced group facilitators. 


Created by the late David Grove, Clean Language is a precision toolkit for uncovering the "unknown knowns" that drive people's thinking and behaviour.


It works especially well in messy, fuzzy, complex situations - such as group discussions - and when working with metaphor.

Who is this course for

01

Experienced group facilitators who've heard the buzz about #CleanLanguage and can't wait to use these approaches with their groups

02

Agile coaches and scrum masters who focus on individuals and their interactions, and want to empower teams to have deeper conversations

03

Trainers, group coaches and managers who'd like to support more effective communication within groups, especially around challenging topics

What great facilitators - and their groups - get from this course

First

the Clean Language questions offer a structure for asking about what matters in a way that reliably builds rapport and trust 

Next

Clean Language uses individual metaphors - the stuff of thought, the native language of the unconscious mind - as a way for people to more easily share what they really think and feel

Taken together

these two factors lead to more of the good stuff in groups. Deeper sharing, richer dialogue, better and more informed decision-making

Expert communicators

love Clean Language because it helps them to understand how what they do works, while taking their skills to a new level.

Course syllabus

3 live sessions • 12 lessons

Week 1

Nov 7—Nov 12

    Nov

    7

    Session 1

    Tue 11/71:00 PM—5:00 PM (UTC)

    Using Clean Language questions in groups

    • Discover 'the nearest thing the FBI has to a Jedi mind trick' and experience why Clean Language matters

    • Experiment with at least three ways of using Clean Language questions as a facilitator 

    • Consider when groups will find value in using Clean Language questions for themselves 

    • Assemble a toolkit of ways to teach the most commonly-used questions

    • ✍️

      Use one thing we covered in Session 1, in a group

      Submit by Nov 20
    • đź“„

      What would you like to have happen?

    • đź“„

      Prep for Session 2

    • đź“„

      Session 1 Recording

    • đź“„

      Session 1 slides

    • đź“„

      Session 1 AI Summary

    • đź“„

      Session 1 chat

    • đź“„

      Session 1 Transcript

Week 2

Nov 13—Nov 19
    Nothing scheduled for this week

Week 3

Nov 20—Nov 26

    Nov

    21

    Session 2

    Tue 11/211:00 PM—5:00 PM (UTC)

    Working Cleanly with metaphor in groups

    • Share your own experiences of using metaphorical activities with groups, and learn from others'

    • Explore the differences between the 'traditional' and 'Clean' ways of using metaphor with groups

    • Uncover the (possibly unconscious) metaphors that power your own facilitation practice

    • Gather tips and tricks for including Clean in your work

    • đź“„

      Session 2 slides

    • đź“„

      Additional resources

    • đź“„

      Session 2 chat

    • đź“„

      Session 2 recording

    • đź“„

      Session 2 transcript

Week 4

Nov 27—Dec 3
    Nothing scheduled for this week

Week 5

Dec 4—Dec 10
    Nothing scheduled for this week

Week 6

Dec 11—Dec 12

    Dec

    11

    Session 3

    Mon 12/111:00 PM—5:00 PM (UTC)

What students are saying

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Course schedule

3 half days, plus some preparation

What people are saying

        Can’t recommend this enough!! Judy’s depth of knowledge and expertise in Clean Language combined with her experience and sense of fun when working with groups or training facilitators (of any type) combine to deliver first class courses, which are INSTANTLY usable and teach a powerful set of tools and techniques.
Ray Whiting

Ray Whiting

Agile Delivery Manager
        A rare chance to simultaneously explore and experience how Clean Language can be used to facilitate and elevate group working. This enables groups to start doing their best work as they clarify their intentions, tap into their creativity and find ways to make better decisions together.
Ian Webster

Ian Webster

Training & Change Management Consultant
        An interesting, meaningful and relevant training for all facilitators and coaches.
Pritom Phookun

Pritom Phookun

Capacity Development Facilitator
        This training will transform the way you work with others - highly engaging and delivered by superb facilitators.
Mary Devine

Mary Devine

Leadership Trainer and Coach
        From the first training session I had with Judy, I was hooked on Clean Language. She introduced the skills in a way that I could take away and use immediately. [It] has had a profound impact on how I work day to day when asking questions, having insightful conversation… and simply observing people's conversations.
Ashley Meerloo

Ashley Meerloo

Trainer, Mentor and Coach
        This course provided theory and context, skills practice, practical exercises to use on courses and thoughtful and careful modelling by course tutors. And a chance to delve into the use of metaphor. What's not to love?
Sam Beal

Sam Beal

        A well-thought out course that took me on a lovely journey to explore Clean Language. Lots of practise time which really aided my learning.
Rebecca Roberts

Rebecca Roberts

Trainer and consultant
        Brilliant course with excellent facilitation. Online delivery worked really smoothly and the content was fascinating!! I will definitely be using what I learned in my work in future.
Max Goodall

Max Goodall

Agile consultant

Meet your instructors

Judy Rees

Judy Rees

Judy Rees is known for her skills in highly-engaging online facilitation. What lies behind them is Clean Language - a precision inquiry framework that improves communication between diverse individuals, even when exploring unknown unknowns in complex contexts.  


She was the co-author of the first mainstream book on the subject, Clean Language: Revealing Metaphors and Opening Minds, and has taught Clean Language to hundreds of change agents worldwide including facilitators, coaches, managers and consultants. 


By using online systems to reach beyond the limits of local, she has helped to make Clean Language a "must have" skill set for advanced communicators, while demonstrating that embodied people skills actually can be learned remotely. 


She was the founder of the global Clean event Metaphorum, and her linkletter, which includes news from the Clean Language world, is read by more than 3000 people every week.


She is in demand to teach these deceptively-simple approaches in a wide variety of organisations.

Steve McCann

Steve McCann

Steve McCann has worked full time with Judy since 2017, developing, delivering and training Clean Language-based and Clean-inspired solutions.


He is firmly focussed on practical application, co-creating and delivering insights and actions to training and consulting clients in humanitarian action, social impact work, and commercial organisations.

Learning is better with cohorts

Learning is better with cohorts

Active hands-on learning

This course builds on live workshops and hands-on projects

Interactive and project-based

You’ll be interacting with other learners through breakout rooms and project teams

Learn with a cohort of peers

Join a community of like-minded people who want to learn and grow alongside you

Frequently Asked Questions

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