1. The Course#
Under Review
This page is currently under review.
Better Conversations is at its heart, a course to teach people to have better conversations in everyday contexts using Clean Language.
The course was initially developed through 15 pilots over 3 years, and through training contracts with organisations such as government agencies, including our sister software company, Amphora Research Systems and evolved it so that any facilitator can deliver it effectively straight off the bat.
We now have a network of practitioners across the world who have delivered the course to hundreds of people. We continue to observe and learn from their experiences and feedback. We have also developed resources to support the course, including a handbook, a set of emails to send to attendees before and after the course, module plans and facilitator guides.
1.1. Course Overview#
The Course Overview document is your comprehensive guide to understanding the Better Conversations course. It covers:
The building blocks framework (5 colour-coded themes)
Visual module diagrams with timing breakdowns
Design philosophy and the 7Ps framework
Delivery team roles and the “crew” metaphor
Detailed content for each of the 6 modules
1.2. The Modules#
The course is delivered in 6 one-hour modules:
Module 1: State
Key concept: State Model (Traffic Light)
Participants will be able to:
Explain the State Model
Describe how they know when they are in red, amber, or green state
Module 2: Assumptions
Key concept: Assumptions Model
Participants will be able to:
Explain how assumptions affect conversations
Describe the link between state and assumptions
Module 3: Context
Key concept: Context Model
Participants will be able to:
Describe the elements of context in conversations
Describe the link between context, assumptions and state
Module 4: Listening with Curiosity
Key concept: Conversation Model
Participants will be able to:
Demonstrate listening to accept
Practice use of questions to understand the other person
Module 5: Intentional Conversations
Key concept: Intention vs Impact
Participants will be able to:
Describe why intention is different to impact
Practice preparing for intentional conversations
Module 6: Applications
Key concept: Foundation Model
Participants will be able to:
Describe the personal impact of the course
Explain what they would like to have happen now
For detailed timing, building blocks, and facilitator notes for each module, see the Course Overview document above.
1.3. Support for Practitioners#
The Foundation provides support to practitioners to help them deliver the course. This includes a community of practice, tailored support with marketing materials and advice on how to deliver the course effectively.
We run our own ‘Experience Courses’ and peer support sessions to help practitioners develop their skills and confidence. These Experience Courses are designed to help practitioners understand the course from the perspective of an attendee, and to help them develop their own style of delivery. These are run by experienced facilitators and are a great way to learn from others. We do this to provide a high quality experience for those learning to deliver the course. Our courses are invite-only as we want to ensure our Partners are able to offer their own public and bespoke courses on a commercial basis.
1.4. Licensing#
The course uses Clean Language principles and practical applications to prime attendees to achieve better conversations, with peers, family and friends. It’s been designed for online delivery but works well in person too.
The Better Conversations Foundation owns the Copyright to this material and is making it available under a Creative Commons license (Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International) which means other people can make use of this material and build their own work on top of it.
The Foundation undertakes a number of activities to support people in delivering the course that are outlined in the Partnership section.
Note that accessing the course content requires you to log in with your email address.
Related Resources
Understand the design: Course Design - why the course is designed this way
Get the materials: Course Materials - handbook, flight plans, and more
Learn to deliver: Guides - practical how-to guidance
Document Information
Reference: documentation/course/index.rst
Last Edited By: Simon Coles
Last Edited: 27th January 2026 at 19:42 UTC
Effective from: 27th January 2026 at 19:42 UTC
Git Commit: 6f60632
Note: This is the current approved version. Printed or downloaded copies may be superseded; refer to docs.bettercourses.org for the authoritative version.