Chapter 5 The Probing Interview

© 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Chapter Summary Preparing the Interview Selecting Interviewees and Interviewers Conducting the Interview Preparing the Report or Story The Interviewee in the Probing Interview Summary

© 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Preparing the Interview Determining the Purpose Your purpose controls how you prepare and what you do in probing interviews.

© 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Preparing the Interview Researching the Topic The Internet and databases are becoming essential resources for interviews. Paying attention to omissions, dates, and interim events may help to focus your purpose. Evidence of research impresses interviewees.

© 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Preparing the Interview Structuring the Interview: Interview Guide Plan a structural sequence but remain flexible. Who was involved? What happened? When did it happen? Where did it happen? How did it happen? Why did it happen?

© 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Preparing the Interview Structuring the Interview: The Opening A solid opening is essential in motivating an interviewee. Know what “off the record” means to both parties.

© 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Preparing the Interview Structuring the Interview: Body A moderate schedule is a useful tool for long interviews. The moderate schedule allows the flexibility to delete questions and create new ones.

© 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Preparing the Interview Structuring the Interview: Closing Abide by time limits. Involve the interviewee actively in the closing.

© 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Selecting Interviewees and Interviewers Selecting Interviewees: Level of Information Make sure your interviewee possesses the information you need.

© 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Selecting Interviewees and Interviewers Selecting Interviewees: Availability Do not assume a potential interviewee is unavailable; ask first.

© 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Selecting Interviewees and Interviewers Selecting Interviewees: Willingness Fear of what may be revealed in an interview might make participants reluctant. Resort to arm-twisting as a last resort.

© 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Selecting Interviewees and Interviewers Selecting Interviewees: Ability Many potential interviewees are willing but unable to participate for several reasons: Faulty memory. Poor health. State of shock. Inability to express or communicate ideas. Proneness to exaggeration or oversimplification. Unconscious repression or distortion of information. Biases or prejudices. Habitual lying.

© 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Selecting Interviewees and Interviewers Selecting Interviewers An interviewer should be: Friendly Courteous Organized A keen observer A good listener Patient Persistent Skillful at asking probing questions

© 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Selecting Interviewees and Interviewers Selecting Interviewers: Status Status difference and similarity affect motivation, freedom to respond, control, and rapport. Status is a critical criterion for some interviewees.

© 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Selecting Interviewees and Interviewers Relationship of Interviewer and Interviewee Be aware of the relational history of the parties. Be aware of perceived similarities and differences of both parties.

© 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Conducting the Interview Motivating Interviewees Know what motivates each interviewee. Trust is essential for probing interviews.

© 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Conducting the Interview Asking Questions: Ask Open-Ended Questions Use the number of questions necessary to get the job done. Listening is as important as asking. Make the interviewee the star of the show. Be an active listener, not a passive sponge. Know what you are doing and why. Think before asking.

© 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Conducting the Interview Note Taking and Tape Recording: Note Taking Weigh carefully the pros and cons of note taking prior to the interview. Note taking should not threaten the interviewee.

© 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Conducting the Interview Note Taking and Tape Recording: Tape Recording Three advantages of tape recording: Enables you to relax and concentrate on the interviewee. You can hear or watch what was said at a later time without having to rely on memory. A recording may pick-up answers that may have been inaudible at the time.

© 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Conducting the Interview Note Taking and Tape Recording: Tape Recording Three disadvantages of tape recording: Tape recorders can malfunction or create technical interruptions. Some people view recorders as an intrusion. Tapes provide permanent, undeniable records that may threaten some interviewees.

© 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Conducting the Interview Handling Difficult Situations A Sanitized versus a Real Setting You may need to feel and experience before you can ask meaningful questions. Use good sense and good judgment in probing interviews. In unsanitized situations, prepare for human suffering and risks.

© 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Conducting the Interview Handling Difficult Situations The Press Conference or Group Interview The interviewee usually controls the press conference. Your relationship with the interviewee is critical at a press conference.

© 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Conducting the Interview Handling Difficult Situations The Broadcast Interview Being familiar with the physical setting may avoid surprises. Spontaneous questions generate spontaneous answers.

© 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Conducting the Interview Handling Difficult Interviewees The seven common types of interviewees are: Emotional Interviewees Hostile Interviewees Reticent Interviewees Talkative Interviewees Evasive Interviewees Confused Interviewees Dissimilar Interviewees

© 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Preparing the Report or Story Make it a habit to check all sources. Be honest, accurate, and fair in reporting interview results.

© 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. The Interviewee and the Probing Interview Doing Homework Get to know the interviewer as well as the interviewer knows you. Who is the interviewer? Who does the person represent? How long will the interview take? What information does the person want? How will the information be used?

© 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. The Interviewee and the Probing Interview Understanding the Relationship Appreciate the impact of upward and downward communication in interviews. Understand the relationship prior to the interview.

© 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. The Interviewee and the Probing Interview Awareness of the Situation Assess the many situational variables that will impact the interview. Consider establishing ground rules such as time, place, length, which topics are off-limits, and the identity of the interviewer.

© 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. The Interviewee and the Probing Interview Anticipating Questions Be as prepared to answer as the interviewer is prepared to ask. Rehearsing possible questions and answers is a common preparatory technique.

© 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. The Interviewee and the Probing Interview Listening to Questions Listen and think before answering Be patient. Focus attention on the question of the moment. Concentrate on both the interviewer and the question. Do not dismiss a question too quickly as irrelevant or stupid.

© 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. The Interviewee and the Probing Interview Answering Strategically Avoid defensiveness. Share control of the interview. Explain what you are doing and why. Take advantage of question pitfalls. Support your answers. Use analogies and metaphors to explain unknown or complicated things. Organize long answers like mini-speeches.

© 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Summary The probing interview is the most common type of interview. This chapter has presented guidelines for structured probing interviews that call for thorough preparation and flexibility. Interviewees need not be passive participants.