Strategically Communicating

Phone interviews can be particularly unnerving. It’s hard to pick up on non-verbal queues, and back and forth banter can be frustrating. This is why I’m particularly interested in this week’s topic on qualitative interviewing practices. This topic is perfect timing, because not only am I planning on incorporating interviews into my terminal project, but next week I’m interviewing my leader over the phone for Brian’s class.  

Lindoff and Taylor (2011) state that qualitative interviews “can be vehicles for exploring people’s explanations.” Having the option to dig deeper and interview someone for further explanation is not something that you always have the opportunity to do. With this in mind, I want to make sure that i’m utilizing the techniques and practices that researchers have developed to maximize my interview next week. Lindoff and Taylor (2011) also explain that the best way to elicit open-ended responses in an interview is to conduct a “respondent interview.” With open-ended responses being the goal, this method seems to be the best option for my leadership paper and terminal project. 

On Thursday, I hope to learn how to utilize the “respondent” method when interviewing my leader. Or learn how a different method would be better suited for my interview. I also hope that tips and tricks are shared on how to conduct a successful phone interview. With only 30 minutes allotted to interview my leader, I want to make sure i’m well prepared and ready to go.