It does not work with bowling shoes and it does not work with facilitation and planning. One size does not fit all.
Of course, we know this. As facilitators and planners we advocate for and implement actions, that reflect being person centred and person directed. We are good at helping to identify and enhance each person’s unique gifts, what is important to them with respect to who is in their life, the things they like to do, and the choices they make. So of course, that means we know and understand that each person is different.
However, sometimes as a facilitator, it can be easy to get into a routine or a pattern. It can be easy to fine one’s self following the same steps or process and using the same tools. It can be easy to have “a way” of doing things.
As we continue to strive to be more person centred and person directed in our facilitation efforts, we need to lean into the tension between the processes and tools we are most comfortable with and the reality that no one process or set of steps or specific tools will always be the most appropriate or best option for any specific individual. To lean into the reality that there will be no efficiency. Part of being person centred is to be comfortable with the time and effort it takes to work with the person and those who know them best to identify what the process will look like. To consider tools and resources that might work, and then adapt them as needed.
Taking an individualized, person centred approach to services means we will never fully replicate a process from one person to another. Taking an individualized, person centred approach means we will never be doing the exact same thing twice. Taking an individualized, person centred approach means every experience will be unique, just as every person and every situation is unique. Taking an individualized, person centred approach means one size will never fit all.