Strategically Communicating

I often conduct several interviews a week at work for a variety of reasons including interviewing potential job candidates, probing the business needs of peers and other business stakeholders, and for research with customers or key stakeholders.  It is really challenging to conduct a great interview, especially when preparation time is limited and the  interview itself is scheduled right after another meeting with no ramp up time to switch gears and get into “interview mode.” 

I found the Hermanowicz article, The Great Interview: 25 Strategies for Studying People in Bed, particularly helpful as a guide for conducting great interviews.  While the 25 strategies were mostly based on common sense and may seem obvious on the surface, it’s easy to forget that nurturing interpersonal dynamics is crucial in order to get the most meaningful information.  When conducting an interview in the midst of a busy day, it’s tempting to fall into a mechanical, driving mode in order to get the information and get to the end of the interview.

The strategies were immensely insightful guides to conducting great interviews.  Of particular interest to me personally were the strategies around listening and probing as well as the strategies that dealt with the flow, or how best to “sequence your moves.”  A great interview will leave the interviewer with deep insights and unexpected information, and will leave the interviewee feeling respected and fulfilled the next morning.