Axoniq Conference 2025 Day 2: Clean Language - Bridging Business & Tech Communication Gaps

🎯 Speaker:

Tobias Brennecke - IT Trainer & Clean Language Coach (15+ years consulting)

🔑 The Problem:

• Example Conversation:

• Business: "When a visitor browses our website, record the pages they visit"

• Developer: "Got it! I'll track page visits for each user"

What Went Wrong:

• ❌ Visitor → User (different concepts)

• ❌ Record → Track (different meaning)

• ❌ Browse vs See (intention lost)

• ❌ No clarification about logged-in status

• ❌ Assumptions made, not verified

💡 Clean Language Core Questions:

"What would you like to have happen?"

• Open question, introduces no bias

• Lets other person define their model

"What kind of X is that X?"

• Explores properties and context

• Example: "What kind of visitor is that visitor?"

"Is there anything else about X?"

• Discovers hidden attributes

• Deepens understanding

🎯 Exquisite Listening Technique:

• ✅ Be a curious cat (put on cat ears!)

• ✅ Focus entirely on the other person

• ✅ Keep assumptions & preoccupations silent

• ✅ Parrot back exact words (not paraphrase!)

• ✅ Write down their words

• ✅ Build their mental model map

📊 Real Results:

• Before Clean Language:

• Visitor → User

• Record → Track

• Browse → See

• Pages → Web pages

• After Clean Language:

• Visitor (someone uncertain about conference)

• Browsing history (list of pages seen)

• Record (for offering discounts)

• Conference attendance status

🔥 Key Statistics:

• 90% of failing projects due to miscommunication

• Only 17% attributed by project managers

• Massive gap in awareness!

💼 Personal Impact:

"When people asked for advice, they never followed it. Why? Because I was giving advice to MYSELF, not to their mental model."

"Clean language gave me a framework for communicating and helping others. It reduced my stress and helped me avoid burnout."

🛠️ Practical Applications:

• ✅ Domain modeling sessions

• ✅ Event modeling workshops

• ✅ Requirements gathering

• ✅ Code reviews (translate back from code)

• ✅ Architecture discussions

• ✅ Team alignment meetings

• ✅ Client conversations