Conversation, Not Interrogation
By: Martha Mintz, ACN Vice President
An interview is a flowing conversation where one party is slightly more interested in what the other has to say.
The idea of an interview is uncomfortable. Interviews are what the police do after a crime or the grilling you might expect from a potential employer—both situations where answering perfectly is critical. For those reasons, I rarely ask for interviews. Instead, I request conversations, visits, or chats.
When positioned as a conversation, it’s important to follow through with the implied promise of a more casual encounter. You wouldn’t—or shouldn’t—jump into a first conversation leading with or asking for something deeply personal, like sharing that super embarrassing thing that happened in high school. In psychology that’s called floodlighting. It’s a tactic some people use when they’re uncomfortable and trying to force a relationship to the next level. It’s not a positive thing and won’t do you any favors in developing a rapport with your subject.
As with any conversation, an interview should start with some easy-peasy basics. How do you spell your name? What’s your job title? How many years have you been in this position? Has your family been farming in this area long? Have you always had wheat in your rotation? Can you start by giving me a good definition of epigenetics?
To make it feel more like a conversation, cushion questions with feedback. Comment on what was said to show you’re listening and engaged. This also serves to encourage your source to provide you with the information you’re looking for. “That’s fascinating! I had no idea most prairie grasses reproduce primarily from root buds, not the seed. How does that factor into your management strategy?”
If a subject is having difficulty carrying the conversation, lighten their load. Give them a little break by interjecting a few tidbits about yourself. “That’s so cool that you went to a one-room country school, too! There are so few of us left that had that experience. I mean, kids today don’t know what it’s like to have to chase cows out of the schoolyard at recess!”
The relationship does have to be rushed a bit, especially when there are serious topics to be covered. Experienced sources like researchers and industry folks don’t need coddling as much, or sources where you’re after very basic information. The more personal the story, however, the more relationship-building needs to be done.
Once a relationship is built and the source knows they can trust you with their story, you can ask the hard questions. “Tell me about the day after the storm. Where did you go first? What did you see that drove home the magnitude of the loss? How did it make you feel to see your dad cry? How did your children respond to such a huge challenge? What happened in the aftermath that gave you the strength to carry on?”
Oof! Those are the tough questions. When I’ve had to ask them, I find myself crying along with the person I’m asking to walk through those emotions. I cry because we’ve built a connection. It’s tiny and fresh, but we have reached a level of comfort in each other. Those interviews often end in a hug and a story that truly reflects the character of the new friend you’ve made.