All learning paths Learn See Try Make What people actually come with What this lesson is about Listen past the first sentence. The problem someone names is usually not the problem they have.
A man at your desk says his pension stopped three months ago and asks you to write to the bank. What first?
A Listen past the first sentence; the named problem is rarely the real one. B Write to the bank today, and see what they reply. C Ask him for his passbook and the pension order, and read them.
Check my recall Why this matters People describe what they noticed, not what went wrong. A stopped pension is something noticed. The case is usually a document, a name that does not match, or a bank that changed.
Take a case from a neighbour and find the problem underneath the one they named.
People describe what they noticed, not what went wrong. A stopped pension is something noticed. The case is usually a document, a name that does not match, or a bank that changed.
Listen past the first sentence; the named problem is rarely the real one. Ask three things first: what happened, when, and what you already tried. Write the case in the person's own words before you use official words. Task A man says his pension stopped three months ago and asks you to write to the bank.
Weak approach Writes a letter to the bank the same hour, saying the pension has stopped. Nothing else is asked.
Stronger approach Asks what happened, when it stopped, and what he tried. Learns his branch changed after a merger. Writes the case in his words first, then in official words.
Why the stronger approach works The weak attempt acts on the named problem. The strong one asks the three questions and finds a case a letter to the old branch could never fix.
Try a changed situation A woman says the ration shop turned her away. She is in a hurry and wants a complaint written now. What comes before the writing?
Make something yourself Write up three real cases in the person's own words. For each, list the three questions you asked and what the case actually turned out to be.
Lesson 1 of 9 on Helping your neighbours with AI next Explain a scheme in their words Part 1 ends in a work sample you can send
Read the primary or official source: Digital India, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology