Why interview?
The interviews provided first hand research and data for our team. During the observation phase, it was very difficult for me sit back and observe. I wanted to talk to them and ask them questions. Interviewing allowed me to do this. While conducting my interviews, I was looking for guidance as to where our team should focus our innovation thought process. I wanted to expand my knowledge of the senior living industry and listen to people who live in those homes and those who have had to make the difficult decision to put a loved one in a home.
The Process
My team and I prepared for the interview by creating a list of possible questions to ask under different topics. We then narrowed that down to our finalized interview guide. Our secondary research and observations allowed me to ask more knowledgeable questions. I had to interview over the phone. I wish I could have interviewed in person so I could have documented body language.
The Interview
I was surprisingly nervous to interview my aunt and second aunt. By the third or fourth question I felt confident and ready to go! I feel the warm-up questions relaxed the atmosphere and encouraged the interviewees to talk. Having open ended questions allowed them to speak and tell a story. This gave me allot of data to work with because they were very elaborative. One drawback was that some of the questions seemed repetitive because the question was answered in a previous open-ended answer. I was nervous that this made the interviewee feel as if I was not listening to them. I allowed the interview to wander even though we had discussed this in class. I was not able to catch it right away. I was enthralled in the conversation and forgot to stay focused on the task at hand.
Advice
My advice to calm one’s nerves would be to prepare. The more prepared you are the more confident you feel. Having knowledge of the topic and ability to respond to the actions of your interviewee is so important. If I had not done research before my interviews, I would not have been able to knowledgably converse and get the most out of the interview.
Listen- truly listen. Be patient and comfortable with silence. This is a challenge for me because I have the urge to ask “why, how, when etc.” The short video, “Being a good Listener”, highlighted in the first 30 seconds that, as human beings, we are more ready to speak than to listen. The value of an interview comes out of what people say, not what I ask. I believe the key is to pay close attention to what is not being answered and make on the spot judgements.