Guess, ask, write
When you are trying to find out more about someone, you can use the ‘guess, ask, write’ process to help you to gather the right information.
Guess
Use all the available person-centered information you have about the person. For example:
- What the person is passionate about?
- What they do that makes them laugh and smile?
- What it is that makes them sad or angry?
- What do they show no interest in at all?
Think about what others who know the person well (family, friends) say about them and what they find important. Use this information to guess what may well be important, or seems likely to be good and preferred support.
Ask
Once you have some idea of what is important to the person you need to ask them if your guess is right.
Ask questions to confirm your thoughts. “You smile and seem happy when in the countryside Tom, is this important to you?”
We can ask family and friends who are close to the person.
Write
Once you are confident that you have understood a person’s feelings on something then record it in a way that is as accurate and specific as possible.
This may be a best guess in the end, but this is better than no information at all, or information based just on your own first thoughts.