Effective Interview Techniques

by Linda Blakeley, Ph.D.

The iwosc independent, Monthly Newsletter of the Independent Writers of Southern California, Volume 6, Number 2, February, 1988

Effective interviewing is as crucial to the journalist as it is to the psychologist working with clients. Asking one set of questions can lead you to a dead end, while pursuing others can get you exactly where you want to go.

When I first began my training as a therapist, I had no structure from which to work with clients. Flying by the seat of my pants wasn’t fun, and using techniques that others told me to use made me uneasy. It was only through experience that I learned that you must first assess your motives and purpose before you start applying specific techniques. Why are you a writer? What mission do you have if any? What do you want to accomplish in a particular writing assignment? My goal is to help clients solve specific problems by tapping into their own personal strengths and creativity.

Keep this purpose in the back of your mind; it will help guide you down your path as you twist and turn in the interview process.

At the outset, with each client my goal is to develop and increase trust. The more trust that exists between people, the greater the likelihood there will be a frank discussion of any subject.

When you want to develop trust, use statements rather than questions. You can obtain the same information by changing your question into a statement, leaving room for the person to respond. Questions often raise anxiety and create defensiveness and withdrawal. Statements, on the other hand, open up a discussion. For example, instead of saying, “What makes you feel uncomfortable?” say, “It sounds like you feel uncomfortable sometimes.” In addition, let your tonal quality show the person that you are interested in their response.

Empathy is another key to developing rapport and trust between you and your interviewee. Active or reflective listening is a quick way of projecting your empathy. This involves feeding back in your words what you have heard them say.

When you ask questions, ask open-ended rather than closed-ended questions. Closed-ended questions can be answered with a yes or no. They give you little information, while open-ended questions, commonly beginning with such words as “who,” “what,” “why” and “how,” promote a more elaborate and interesting response.

Time is an important element in the interviewing process. Save the tough questions on sensitive issues for the middle of the interview and plan to use summary statements at the conclusion of the interview.

Observe your interviewee’s body language and tone of voice when you ask a question. This may indicate how open or closed s/he is about a particular subject. It may give you a hint that reframing your question or statement in another way could give you a deeper response.

Your best interviews will develop from your self trust – trust in your purpose and an understanding of the need for all people to be understood

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