Over the past four articles, we’ve shown you communication breakdowns across different team contexts:
Strategic planning sessions where “committed” meant completely different things to different executives.
Project metaphors where one person saw a battlefield while another saw a garden.
Meeting conflicts where “stone in pond” revealed invisible assumptions about impact and responsibility.
Retrospectives where “done” had three different definitions, causing rework every sprint.
Different scenarios. Same root cause.
The Pattern You’ve Been Seeing
Dr. Caitlin Walker has spent 25 years showing that most workplace miscommunication isn’t about people failing to communicate. It’s about people communicating perfectly using words that mean completely different things.
When your developer says “done,” your QA hears something different. When leadership says “strategic,” each executive imagines a different approach. When someone says they’re “blocked,” the solution depends entirely on what kind of blocked they mean.
You’ve been solving the wrong problem. You don’t need better documentation, more standups, or clearer requirements. You need to stop accepting vague language.
The Two-Question Pattern
Across every scenario we’ve covered, the solution is the same:
- Repeat their exact words back
When someone says “we’re blocked” or “this is critical” or “we need to be strategic,” don’t translate into your language. Use their exact word.
“So it’s blocked…”
- Ask what they’ve seen or heard
“What have you seen or heard that means it’s blocked?”
This separates evidence from inference. Now they get specific:
- “The API endpoint returns a 500 error”
- “We’re waiting for the design team to finalize mockups”
- “We don’t have the production credentials we need”
Three different “blocked” situations. Three different solutions. Without asking, you’d have guessed wrong.
Source: Clean Learning blog on facilitation →
The boundary: Stop at two clarifying questions per topic. More than that, you’re doing therapy, not facilitation.
Source: Microaggressions webinar →
The Questions You Need
Walker’s Clean Language framework includes dozens of questions, but six core questions handle 90% of business situations.
We’ve covered the two most important ones throughout this series:
- “What kind of [their word]?”
- “What would you like to have happen?”
But knowing which question to use when – and which combinations work best for different scenarios – makes the difference between awkward interrogation and natural clarification.
The other four questions help you:
- Discover what people aren’t saying in their first response
- Understand location and timing of issues
- Confirm you’re hearing what they actually mean
- Navigate group conversations where people have different definitions
The right question at the right moment prevents days of misaligned work.
Where This Shows Up
In planning: “Strategic” means different things. Ask “what kind of strategic?” before building plans around misalignment.
In standups: “Done” has different definitions. Ask “what have you seen or heard that means done?” before moving cards.
In retrospectives: “Communication problems” is too vague. Ask “what have you seen or heard that means communication problems?” to find the real issue.
In conflicts: “You’re not listening” often means something specific. Ask “what would you like to have happen?” to reveal the actual need.
If you’ve read through this series – what Clean Language is, how metaphors expose miscommunication, how two questions stop conflicts, and why retrospectives keep surfacing the same issues – you’ve seen this pattern work across multiple contexts.
Your Next Step
This week, pick one meeting and try the two-question pattern. The Quick Reference Guide shows you exactly which question to use when
Get the Complete Question Framework
We’ve created a Clean Questions Quick Reference Guide that includes:
✓ All six questions with when to use each one
✓ Question combinations for different scenarios (planning, standups, retrospectives, conflicts)
✓ The two-question boundary rule with examples
✓ Common mistakes and how to recover
✓ Decision tree: “They said X, ask Y”
✓ Real examples from this series
Keep it visible during meetings until asking “what kind of [their word]?” becomes as natural as asking “what do you mean?”
Master the Technique
If you’ve tried these questions and seen results, the next step is building the skill systematically.
Clean in Toronto | February 24-25, 2026
Two days with Dr. Caitlin Walker learning how to use Clean Language in delivery contexts:
Day 1: Foundations
- Clean Language fundamentals
- Systems thinking and misalignment patterns
- Identifying where miscommunication costs you most
Day 2: Application
- Team facilitation techniques
- Requirements clarification
- Running effective retrospectives
- Handling conflict without drama
Investment:
- Day 1 only: $1,200
- Both days: $2,000 (save $400)
- Early bird discount: 20% off (limited time)
This isn’t theory. Walker has spent 25 years applying these techniques everywhere from violent teenager groups (zero incidents over 25 years) to multinational corporations. You’ll practice on real scenarios from your organization.
Not ready for two days? Start with the free practice session: “Metaphors at Work” | December 10, 12:00 PM EST. Experience the approach in a low-stakes environment before committing to training.
Register for Free Practice Session →
The Complete Series:
- What Is Clean Language? The Communication Technique That Prevents Misalignment
- How Business Metaphors Expose Miscommunication (Before It Costs You)
- Two Clean Questions That Stop Meeting Meltdowns
- Why Your Retrospectives Keep Saying ‘Communication Problems’
- The Pattern Behind Every Communication Breakdown (And How to Fix It) ← You are here
About Dr. Caitlin Walker
Dr. Caitlin Walker (PhD) developed Systemic Modelling as “a way to raise group attention and intelligence.” Her 25 years of work spans from preventing violence in teenager groups to helping corporations eliminate costly miscommunication through clarifying questions.
Learn more at Clean Learning
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