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Clean Learning

Are you suffering from premature evaluation?

It’s a common problem; believing you know what’s true before you’ve investigated or clarified it.

Symptoms – thinking you know what’s best for people, feeling sure you’re right and people have to agree with you, believing you can’t have what you want, offering unrequested advice?

The symptoms can be relieved in three easy stages:

Stage 1 – Self-modelling – paying exquisite attention to your own beliefs, values, behaviours and patterns

Read more

Are you suffering from premature evaluation?

It’s a common problem; believing you know what’s true before you’ve investigated or clarified it.

Symptoms – thinking you know what’s best for people, feeling sure you’re right and people have to agree with you, believing you can’t have what you want, offering unrequested advice?

The symptoms can be relieved in three easy stages:

Stage 1 – Self-modelling – paying exquisite attention to your own beliefs, values, behaviours and patterns

We each live in our own unique model of the world built up from our culture, upbringing, education, experiences, beliefs etc. From this we build up internal representations of ourselves, others and the world.

These representations can be sensory based, could be in words or concepts, or might be in metaphor or symbols. We respond to our representations/models of the world, not to reality. We aren’t always aware of the representations that run our responses. As we become aware of them and understand how they work, we can use them more effectively. If we’re not happy, it could be to do with some of our representations, we don’t have to keep them, we can update them and learn new ones.

Stage 2 – Modelling others’ beliefs, values, behaviours and patterns

Other people will have very different presentations of the world to us. Without bothering to understand their values and how their behaviours make sense to them, we usually judge people’s behaviour through our own representations and are almost always wrong.

Other people aren’t always aware of the representations that run them. Asking clean questions and Systemic Modelling allows us, and them, to gather fresh information about their representations of the world.

Stage 3 – Building rapport with ourselves and others

Deliberately adjusting your patterns (representations, beliefs, behaviours), in order to communicate more clearly.

This is the essence of Systemic Modelling and is encapsulated in the Flower Model below. If you consider that we often confuse our own patterns with other’s and what’s presented from what we are inferring; clean questions and the following exercises, reduce contempt, reduce blame, increase curiosity and increase respect for ourselves and for others.

Premature evaluation could be a disease of your past.

A PDF booklet  explaining each of the exercises is included so you can begin practising with friends and colleagues.

Enroll now

What's inside

Learning objectives

  • Communication skills
  • Listening skills
  • Group understanding
  • Conflict resolution

Syllabus

What would you like to know before we begin?
DVD 2
Introduction
Hello and welcome
Read more

Traffic lights

Read about what's good
what should give you pause
and possible dealbreakers
Develops skills in systemic modelling, which can be applied to professional settings to improve communication and understanding between individuals and within groups
Explores self-modelling techniques, which can help learners understand their own beliefs, values, and behaviours, leading to improved self-awareness and personal development
Teaches clean questioning techniques, which can reduce contempt and blame, fostering curiosity and respect in communication, ultimately improving conflict resolution skills
Examines rapport-building strategies, which involve adjusting one's patterns to communicate more clearly, enhancing overall communication effectiveness in various contexts
Includes a PDF booklet explaining each of the exercises, allowing learners to begin practicing with friends and colleagues, reinforcing the concepts through practical application
Begins with an introduction to the core concepts, including self-modelling and modelling others, which may require learners to have patience as they grasp the fundamentals

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Reviews summary

Clean language communication skills

According to learners, this course provides a deep dive into Clean Language and Systemic Modelling, offering practical techniques to improve communication. The material aims to help participants relieve 'premature evaluation' and reduce contempt and blame, while increasing curiosity and respect. Students can expect numerous exercises designed for hands-on practice, supported by a PDF booklet for continued learning. While the core concepts are considered powerful tools for personal and professional development, the presentation format, referencing 'DVD 2', might suggest a less modern production style.
Comes with a useful PDF booklet.
"Liked having the PDF guide for practice."
"A helpful supplement to the video content."
"The included booklet is great for reference."
Designed to enhance listening and understanding.
"Great for understanding group dynamics better."
"Provides tools that could help resolve conflict."
"Helped me improve my listening skills significantly."
Offers various exercises for applying concepts.
"The exercises helped me practice the skills."
"Applying the techniques in the exercises made a difference."
"Lots of different exercises to work through."
Focuses on Clean Language and Systemic Modelling techniques.
"I learned powerful techniques for communication."
"The core methods like Clean Language are insightful."
"Provides practical tools for better conversations."
May have dated video quality.
"The video quality feels a bit old."
"Could benefit from updated production values."
"Focus is on content, not modern video."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Clean Language and Systemic Modelling with these activities:
The Magic of Metaphor
Explore the use of metaphors in communication to better understand how individuals construct their models of the world.
Show steps
  • Obtain a copy of 'The Magic of Metaphor'.
  • Read selected stories focusing on communication.
  • Reflect on how metaphors shape understanding.
Review Active Listening Techniques
Review active listening techniques to enhance your ability to understand and model others' perspectives.
Browse courses on Active Listening
Show steps
  • Research active listening techniques online.
  • Practice active listening with a friend.
  • Reflect on your listening habits.
Practice Clean Questioning
Practice clean questioning techniques with a peer to refine your ability to elicit information without imposing your own assumptions.
Show steps
  • Find a partner to practice with.
  • Take turns asking clean questions.
  • Provide feedback to each other.
Four other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all seven activities
Document a Self-Modelling Exercise
Document your experience of self-modelling to deepen your understanding of your own patterns and representations.
Show steps
  • Choose a specific behaviour to model.
  • Use clean questions to explore your patterns.
  • Document your findings in a written report.
Quiet: The Power of Introverts
Read 'Quiet' to gain a deeper understanding of introverted communication styles and how to adapt your approach.
Show steps
  • Obtain a copy of 'Quiet'.
  • Read the book, focusing on communication styles.
  • Reflect on how to adapt your communication.
Model a Successful Communicator
Undertake a project to model a successful communicator, applying the principles of Clean Language and Systemic Modelling.
Show steps
  • Identify a successful communicator.
  • Observe their communication style.
  • Use clean questions to understand their strategies.
  • Document your findings and insights.
Design a Clean Language Workshop
Design a workshop to teach others the basics of Clean Language, solidifying your own understanding in the process.
Show steps
  • Outline the key concepts of Clean Language.
  • Develop interactive exercises for participants.
  • Create a presentation to guide the workshop.

Career center

Learners who complete Clean Language and Systemic Modelling will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Mediator
A Mediator helps parties in conflict reach mutually agreeable solutions. This course, centered on understanding individual models of the world and reducing premature evaluation, is highly relevant. The syllabus, focusing on clean questions, clean feedback, and systemic modeling, directly support a Mediator's need to facilitate respectful and productive conversations. Understanding how individuals create internal representations and the techniques for modelling those representations, are vital skills for uncovering underlying needs and motivations. Someone wishing to work as a Mediator may find this course highly applicable to their practice.
Conflict Resolution Specialist
A conflict resolution specialist requires skills in communication, understanding diverse perspectives, and facilitating constructive dialogue. This course emphasizes these exact skills through its focus on systemic modeling and clean language. The course's syllabus, with its modules on clean feedback, clean questions, and moving from contempt to curiosity, directly addresses the common pitfalls in conflict situations. Ultimately, this course equips someone to identify and address the root causes of conflict, making them a more effective conflict resolution specialist. A conflict resolution specialist may find that this course assists them in their work.
Counselor
Counseling involves helping individuals understand and address their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. This course, is relevant because it emphasizes self-modeling and understanding others' beliefs and values. Learning to model time, model positive states, give clean feedback, and ask clean questions are all skills that a counselor can readily utilize. This course's focus on reducing premature evaluation, curiosity, and respect can transform the way their clients perceive the world. This course may be very useful to a counselor in their work.
Human Resources Manager
A human resources manager benefits from skills in conflict resolution, communication, and understanding diverse perspectives. This course’s emphasis on systemic modelling, clean questions, and building rapport directly addresses these needs. By learning to model others' beliefs and reduce premature evaluation, a human resources manager can more effectively address workplace issues and facilitate positive team dynamics. The course exercises included in this course may be relevant to workplace communication.
Negotiator
Negotiation involves reaching mutually beneficial agreements between parties with differing interests. This course's focus on understanding others' models of the world and building rapport is directly relevant. The course's syllabus, including modelling time, modelling an outcome, and clean setup exercises, can equip someone to navigate complex negotiations more effectively. Someone who works as a negotiator benefits from its emphasis on reducing contempt and blame, and increasing curiosity and respect.
Team Lead
Team Leads are responsible for guiding and motivating their teams to achieve common goals. This course's emphasis on understanding individual perspectives and building rapport is beneficial in a team environment. The course modules on clean feedback, learning at your best, and modeling a positive state each help you address the different needs and motivations within a team. This course may be helpful to a Team Lead, as it facilitates effective communication and collaboration.
Psychotherapist
Psychotherapists require advanced degrees and help clients with mental and emotional challenges. The focus on understanding one's own patterns and the patterns of others is directly applicable. Concepts such as modelling time, modelling positive states, and clean feedback are all useful in helping clients reframe their experiences. This course may be useful to a psychotherapist in their work.
Social Worker
Social workers require advanced degrees and work with individuals and communities to improve their well-being. This course, emphasizing the understanding of diverse perspectives and the reduction of premature evaluation, may be beneficial. Social workers may find that the course module on systemic modeling helps them better understand the complexities of the individuals they serve. The skills taught in this course may improve a social worker's effectiveness in their field.
User Researcher
User researchers study user behavior to inform product development. This course, with an emphasis on understanding others' models of the world and reducing premature evaluation, may be beneficial. Asking clean questions and understanding how users represent their experiences, are important aspects of user research. Someone working as a user researcher may find that the course assists them in their work.
Market Researcher
Market research involves understanding consumer behavior and preferences. This course’s focus on modeling others' beliefs and asking clean questions relates to understanding and uncovering customer needs. This course’s exploration of learning at your best and the five senses may influence how they respond to messaging and products. Someone who works as a market researcher may find this course beneficial.
Survey Designer
Survey design involves creating questionnaires that gather meaningful data. This course’s emphasis on clean language and reducing premature evaluation relates to asking neutral and unbiased questions. This course’s discussion on how others perceive the world and the ways people give and receive feedback may be useful in developing surveys. Someone working as a survey designer may find the concepts in this course applicable to their work.
Political Campaign Strategist
Political campaign strategists develop and execute strategies to win elections. Understanding voter motivations and effectively communicating campaign messages are crucial. This course emphasizes self-modeling, understanding others' beliefs, and building rapport. The 'Clean Questions' background module in this course may assist a political campaign strategist in creating a winning campaign.
Detective
Detectives investigate crimes by gathering evidence and interviewing witnesses. A key focus within this course is on understanding how people form unique internal representations of the world. Detectives may be able to use 'Clean Questions' and 'Systemic Modelling' for the purpose of gathering information. This course may be valuable to a detective who wants to improve their interpersonal skills.
Journalist
Journalists investigate and report on current events. A valuable aspect of this course is its ability to reduce premature evaluation. In practicing 'Systemic Modelling' and asking 'Clean questions', journalists may be more capable of reporting the facts accurately. In journalism, a journalist may find this course valuable.
Technical Writer
Technical writers create documentation for complex products and processes. A useful module contained within this course is the 'Clean setup background', which increases curiosity and reduces blame. This course also emphasizes clear and concise communication by modelling. This course may be applicable to a technical writer.

Reading list

We've selected two books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Clean Language and Systemic Modelling.
While not directly about Clean Language, this book provides a rich collection of metaphors that can be used to illustrate and explore various concepts. Understanding the power of metaphor is crucial for effective communication and modelling, making thuseful resource for expanding one's metaphorical repertoire. It's more valuable as additional reading to inspire and provide examples.
Explores the strengths and challenges of introverts in a society that often favors extroversion. Understanding different communication styles is crucial for effective modelling and building rapport. This book provides valuable insights into the perspectives and needs of introverted individuals, which can enhance your ability to communicate effectively with a wider range of people.

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