When Clean Language became my full-time obsession in 2006, we had a problem: not enough case studies to prove Clean Language worked.
Nearly 20 years later, I have the opposite problem - and it might provide exactly what you need.
The Evolution
Back in the day, I remember scouring my network to find case studies to write up. Wendy Sullivan and I felt that to justify what we were doing, we desperately needed proof that Clean Language could be effective outside its home territory of psychotherapy.
After I left our partnership in 2009, I kept on collecting - video interviews, podcasts, articles. Collecting stories of practical applications was always the thing.
Now I know of hundreds of published examples spanning healthcare, education, business, coaching. The evidence base we dreamed of in 2006 actually exists now.
This abundance is actually great news for Clean Language advocates - it means we've moved from 'does it work?' to 'which success story should I share?’
And while that’s a better-quality problem, it’s still a problem.
The Problem Illustrated
Here's what I mean. The other day I was delivering a How to Advocate For Clean Language training and I had so many relevant examples, I couldn’t possibly include them all. I ended up making an online randomiser…
https://wheelofnames.com/ht4-vsh
Go ahead, give it a spin. Whatever name comes up, I can link you to their story:
The 34-million Euro save: Analyst Roland Hill's Clean Language questions rescued a project from disaster
Lynne Cooper: Created The Five Minute Coach model for NHS radiography managers
Harriet Nicholls: Used Clean Language in healthcare training and recruitment and now teaches it to her university students
Bobbie Petford: Investigated bullying in healthcare settings
Rafael Verdiguer: Reducing staff absence in hospital facilities through Clean Language
Anna Rotkiewicz: Discovering rare conditions amongst her geriatric patients
Siobhan Aris: Finds is makes her feel like Florence Nightingale when she uses it in palliative care
But here's the thing: depending on who you're trying to convince, some stories work better than others.
Why This Matters
I often start with the 34-million Euro story - numbers work for any audience.
But if I'm talking to healthcare leaders worried about staff wellbeing, Rafael's absence reduction work hits differently. For recruitment challenges, it's Harriet. For workplace culture issues, it's often Bobbie.
The wrong story falls flat. The right story opens doors. Context determines everything.
The Vision
What if there was a properly curated, searchable resource? Tagged by audience (skeptical executives, healthcare managers, HR leaders), by outcome (cost savings, staff wellbeing, patient care), by emotional impact (the stories that give people goosebumps vs. the ones that convince with data).
Not just a database - expert curation that helps you to choose the right story to your specific advocacy challenge.
The Test
I'm considering building this. Healthcare professionals routinely pay for curated resources like UpToDate. Business schools charge $5-15 per case study. The market exists.
But there are costs involved. So I’m curious: Would you find this valuable? What would make it worth paying for? What tags or filters would help you most? Let me know!
Meanwhile, what's your go-to Clean Language story? Share it in the comments - let's start building this together.
What a great idea Judy. Naturally my go to area is young children/teachers in schools (raising awareness of misunderstandings, metacognition, intrinsic motivation, goal setting, classroom culture and an independent learning/self organising groups).
This will have no this a resource that would warrant a fee for access. I have little experience in this area. I’ll mull over the idea of paying and send over a ballpark figure.
The money think this will be a valuable resource for many people. xx
Excellent post Judy. I love the wheel and the resources you have so diligently gathered through the years!