Clean Language: #1 Way to Fix Poor Team Communication

"You want happy staff. You become more productive as the manager because you don't have to deal with the hassles." - Judy Rees Today on Lean Agile Management Podcast, we're talking to Judy Rees about effective communication in complex environments to learn how to improve team communication at work using a method called Clean Language. From the famous feedback sandwich to the Nonviolent Communication method, managers everywhere are eager to find an effective way to overcome the communication hurdles of a modern workplace. Different cultural backgrounds, distributed and remote teams make it even harder for contributors and managers to communicate effectively. Having poor communication in teams leads to misunderstandings and conflicts. Insufficient or ineffective communication is reported to have a direct effect on employee engagement, high employee turnover, and can even be the reason behind missed goals. Together, all these side effects lead to stress and anxious people are even harder to communicate with. Sounds like a vicious circle, doesn’t it? Wouldn’t it be great, if we could just glimpse into someone else's mind and just see why they do things the way they do? See what kind of meanings hide behind the words people say. The answer you’re looking for might be the Clean Language method. To understand what that is and how to use it, we’ve invited Judy Rees - a public speaker, trainer, and consultant as well as a co-author of a bestselling book called Clean Language: Revealing Metaphors and Opening Minds. Clean Language is a method initially devised by David Grove to help therapy clients explore their inner thoughts. In essence, it’s a very specific precision inquiry technique that’s built on the idea of probe request and response. The ultimate goal is to find out what it is that somebody really means by what they're saying even when they don't know themselves. The key points covered in the episode: The biggest challenge for modern management How to communicate effectively in highly unstable and complex environments Boosting team morale, company profits, and manager’s well-being with good communication What is Clean Language and how can it help you deal with business challenges? Giving feedback and understanding problematic employees Importance of effective communication (listening) skills in conflict resolution How to learn what's necessary for people to work at their best. Further Reading: “How to create a collaborative culture?” “Clean Language: Revealing Metaphors And Opening Minds” - book by Judy Rees How Do Agile Practitioners Benefit From Learning Clean Language? “From Contempt to Curiosity” - book by Caitlin Walker Shared leadership and self-organized teams Contact our guest: LinkedIn Twitter Website