XRayListeningSept09

When you’re listening at your best, you are like… what?

Please draw your answer on a sticky label and write

your name alongside

X-press Insightwith

X-Ray Listening

What’s important to you about insight skills?

Better skillsBetter insight

Better projects

Better products

“Don’t know” is normal!

So develop the skills to elicit people’s unconscious and tacit requirements

Judy Rees

• Former news reporter• Helped to create digital Teletext (inc.

requirements gathering & user testing)• Co-author of Clean Language: Revealing

Metaphors and Opening Minds• MD of X-Ray Listening

This session

• Time-limited for maximum learning/minute• Practical skills rather than theory– References in handout, or ask at the end– Ask questions, but we may come back to them

• You will be learning on multiple levels – Eat, drink, move when you need to – Stay curious and comfortable with not knowing

• For best results…

…just dive in!

When you’re listening at your best, you are like… what?

(starter question only)

Use only these questionsand your partner’s own words

• What kind of X (is that X)?• Is there anything else about (that) X?

• Ask in any order, as many times as you like

Tip: Remember the first word(s) they say about their badge

You can always go back to ask about this if you lose track

Tip: Notice gestures

Where are they imagining the thing they are talking about?

Look at it as you ask about it

Off the top of the head

Heartfelt

Gut feelings

Tip: Use silence

Try the eight-second technique

Tip: Keep using their words

It keeps them engaged, makes them feel respected, and stops you using

jargon

Metaphors

• Describe one kind of thing in terms of another kind of thing

• Very effective for explaining complex ideas– E.g. “X-Ray Listening”

Explicit metaphors in research

“If Amberlight was a dog, what kind of dog would it be?”

Metaphors can both explain and persuade

Note: Cultural similarityIndividual differences

We think in metaphor

• “Native language of the unconscious mind”• As we learn, we link new ideas to old ones –

that is, we make our own metaphors• Metaphors spill out in our speech and writing

without being consciously chosen• They can therefore be used to explore

people’s unconscious “thoughts”

Spotting metaphors can take practice

“It’s like a koala bear crapped a rainbow in my head”

(SeaLab 2012)

“It’s like a pencil with an eraser at both ends”

(Emery, Studying Politics)

(www.dilbert.com)

“Take a walk on the wild side”

(Lou Reed)

“Constraint inspires creativity”

(Twitter help pages)

Spotting metaphors

• Listen for “it’s like…” or “it’s as if…”• These phrases may only be implied

Exploring metaphors

• Use the Clean Language questions– What kind of X (is that X)?– Is there anything else about (that) X?

• Be prepared for surprises• Be respectful • Both explicit and implicit metaphors can be

explored – but explicit ones are easiest

Asking for a metaphor

Ask: “And that’s like… what?” (slowly)

From concept to metaphor

• Start from a concept, e.g. “interface”• Uncover some adjectives/features, e.g.

“straightforward and friendly”

• Then ask: “That’s straightforward and friendly like… what?” – Not: “That’s an interface like what?”

Activity: Concept to metaphor

• ‘Client’ lists some features of a good user interface

• ‘Consultant’ asks: “And that’s <feature> and <feature> like… what?”

• Once client has volunteered a metaphor, ask:– What kind of X (is that X)?– Is there anything else about (that) X? (In any order, as many times as you like)

Questions?

And all of that’s like… what?

Further reading• Clean Language: Revealing Metaphors and

Opening Minds by Wendy Sullivan and Judy Rees

• Role of the unconscious: – A Whole New Mind by Daniel Pink

• Importance of metaphor: – The Stuff of Thought by Steven Pinker– How Customers Think by Gerald Zaltman

Keep in touch

info@xraylistening.com+44 (0)7979 495509

www.xraylistening.com

XRayListeningSept09

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