Clean Language and coaching principles sit well together. And so unsurprisingly, the approach has been endorsed by many of the UK’s leading coaching experts such as Max Landsberg and Professor David Clutterbuck.
Max Landsberg, author of The Tao of Coaching, former partner at McKinsey & Co, and Partner at Heidrick & Struggles said: “Clean Language deserves to be a multi-purpose tool of choice in the kitbag of coach, facilitator and even salesperson; (the book) Clean Language will show you how to use it effectively.”
Professor David Clutterbuck, author of more than 40 books of management, leadership and coaching also endorsed Clean Language: Revealing Metaphors and Opening Minds by Wendy Sullivan and Judy Rees. He said: “For many coaches, Clean Language is little more than a collection of 12 helpful and logical questions. Yet as Sullivan and Rees illustrate, it is much more a state of mindfulness. By purging his or her own language of content, metaphor or other baggage, the coach enables the client to explore and learn about their own inner worlds, to see and make choices and to reaffirm their own identity.”
Clean Language and coaching can be combined in a variety of different ways. Some coaches use Clean Language almost exclusively, as their methodology of choice, while others prefer to ‘mix and match’ Clean Language with other coaching tools. They may use Clean Language for a whole session, and other tools on other occasions, or may use Clean Language for only part of a session. Clean Language is particularly valuable useful in the goal-setting phase of a coaching programme. It can be used to elicit a metaphor for the client’s desired outcome, which frequently becomes a powerful talisman on their development journey.
