Why Clean Language Works
Engaging With The Mind's Hidden Depths
"Just believe in yourself!" "You know more than you think!" "Have you tried making a list?"
These suggestions are well-meaning but infuriating - but they rarely help.
Why? That’s because they don’t engage with the mind’s hidden depths.
Let me show you the Clean Language difference, using an example:
Coach: And when your mind’s like a container, what kind of container?
Client: It's like Hermione's beaded handbag - you know, from Harry Potter.
Coach: I’m not sure I remember… what kind of beaded handbag is Hermione's beaded handbag?
Client: Well, it looks tiny and delicate on the outside, but she's got an Extension Charm on it. She fits entire libraries in there, camping equipment, even potions!
Coach: And is there anything else about a beaded handbag like that?
Client: I’ve got all sorts in mine! Like Hermione, I've got books and knowledge tucked away, but also memories, and skills I've learned... some I'd forgotten about until I needed them.
Coach: And skills you’d forgotten about until you needed them. What kind of skills?
Client: They're like... emergency supplies. Things I learned years ago that suddenly become useful. Like when Hermione pulls out exactly what they need at exactly the right moment.
Coach: And is there anything else about that?
Client: Yes... it's not just that they're stored there. They're organized. Even if I can't see the organization from the outside, there's a system. When I need something, I can reach in and find it.
Coach: And what kind of system is that system?
Client: It's like... there are invisible compartments. Different sections for different kinds of knowledge. And the right thing comes to hand when I need it.
Bigger On The Inside
Look at what emerged naturally for this client through these precise Clean Language questions:
A detailed metaphorical understanding of how their mind organises information
A practical way for them to access "emergency supplies" of knowledge
Recognition of their existing organisational system
Confidence in their ability to find what they need.
No advice was given. No solutions were suggested. Instead, Clean Language questions helped them discover their own working system. And it will work, for them.
As the coach, this is a whole lot more interesting for me than giving advice! It turns out that all minds are bigger on the inside than the outside, and that Clean Language provides a highly-effective way to find out about what’s in there.
It’s always surprising. One person might have Herminone’s handbag; someone else the TARDIS; a third person will have an idea I’d never have predicted in a million years.
You might be surprised by what emerges when you keep your questions Clean.
Want to try this yourself? Get the basic Clean Language questions here:
Oh, and by the way, what’s your metaphor for the mind, and the fact that it’s bigger on the inside than the outside? I’d love to know! Please comment.
My metaphor for something bigger on the inside than the outside is the Unseen University Library #Discworld