Episode 17: Navigating Conflict with Clean Language - Insights from Jess Hunt

Welcome to Episode 17 of "Clean at Work," where we are thrilled to host Jess Hunt, a conflict engagement coach for the Unitarian Universalist Association and a doctoral candidate in social transformation and community building. Jess brings a wealth of experience in facilitating conversations within diverse and neurodiverse communities, and they share their journey of integrating clean language into their work. In this episode, Jess discusses how clean language helps in making implicit messages explicit, a crucial aspect when dealing with conflict in congregational settings. They explain the significance of cultural language and the challenges of navigating communication across different regions and backgrounds. Jess provides a glimpse into their approach to conflict resolution, emphasizing the importance of authenticity, intentionality, and explicit communication. Listeners will learn how Jess applies clean language to rebuild trust and foster healing in communities that are inherently mistrustful due to historical and systemic traumas. They also share how clean language complements other methodologies like transformational community conferencing, offering a comprehensive toolkit for effective conflict engagement. Join us for an enlightening conversation with Jess Hunt, and discover how clean language can be a powerful tool in navigating conflict, enhancing communication, and building stronger, more cohesive communities. About the Speaker Jess Hunt Jess Hunt (they, none) is a queer creator, researcher, thinker, puzzler, and parenter. As the head of their active, brilliant, goofy, autistic family, Jess ensures the survival of five humans through all the strife that is life in Central Florida (except of course when it gets too humid and the family flees to UU camps in cooler climes). Every time they lie in a hammock, they commune with the sacred. Jess has earned a Masters in Library and Information Science with a concentration in Youth Services and Leadership and a Bachelor’s of Arts in Theatre with concentrations in art and religion. They are currently working on a Doctorate of Ministry concentrating on Community Change through Faith Formation. Their previous careers have included hospital based healthcare customer service and communication, reference librarian in academic, public, law, and school libraries, and a birth assistant and doula for a homebirth midwife. As a liberative change agent, dedicated to holding space for the uncomfortable through empowering intentional, compassionate love that invites connection, inspires spiritual growth, leans into curiosity, and ignites action, they share a ministry of cooperative learning, inspiring others to be self liberated into a life of authenticity. Jess believes that one of the most important aspects of building community is reducing competition for individual greatness over others. We do fun things because they’re fun. Collective community fun can and should exist just because, without using hierarchy to justify its significance in our lives. Email: [email protected] About the Hosts John Barratt (https://www.agileaffinity.com/) is passionate about empowering individuals, teams, and organisations to reach their full potential. Utilising a blend of agile techniques infused with the agile mindset, he is dedicated to helping organisations streamline, self-organise, and adapt to today's dynamic business environment. John's approach is deeply influenced by the systemic modelling skills he acquired from Caitlin Walker, which he continuously refines through ongoing training. His work primarily focuses on guiding organisations through the process of descaling and fostering a culture of self-organisation. Learn more about John's work at Agile Affinity. Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbarratt1/ Sarah Baca (http://www.nerdyknights.com/) is a coach, therapist, facilitator, and teacher who has a passion for using clean language to help others discover what makes them feel vibrantly alive. She has been working with organisations as an agile coach for over a decade, specialising in enterprise and leadership coaching.  Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahjbaca/