Techniques of Instruction - Interviewing

SARBC

Search and Rescue Society of British Columbia

Lesson Plan

Aim:

to provide the audience with a simple way of remembering basic interview techniques

Motivation:

good listening skills are the key to getting information - information is necessary for planning data, and searching data

Outline:

First, before we get going, lets define interviewing, since there is confusion about the terms:

Interviewing

a formal meeting or conversation with a person to obtain comments and information

Interrogation

to question closely or formally

Investigation

to make a carefully study of ....... to discover the facts about it; or to make a systematic search or inquiry; or to examine

Questioning

requesting information or an answer; something being discussed

Some of these terms imply discussion - what is discussion?

To discuss means to examine by means of argument; or talk about

Perhaps it should be a dialogue instead.

Dialogue means a conversation or discussion

Or a conversation.

A conversation is an informal talk between people

Or, perhaps a talk.

A talk is to convey or exchange ideas by spoken words

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So now we should be on the same wavelength - interview, dialogue, conversation

A conversation can be broken down into 4 main purposes:

• to give information
• to get information
• to persuade
• to show a human interest in other human beings

Conversation consists of both transmission and reception.

Dialogue is conversation with a purpose.

The art of SAR interviewing can be expressed as getting information in a timely manner, from a distraught or distressed person, and leave them feeling better than before the interview.

To do it right, try to see from other viewpoints. Impartiality in listening to points of view is a great aid in the making of good judgements about what is being discussed, and this requires that we honestly to see things through the other person's eyes. It quite possible to form and hold a strong opinion of our own and yet realize that it is after all, only one point of view.

Good dialogue requires common substance, a topic, and a lots of goodwill.

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But what about listening?

When you listen attentively you may learn about options that are not at once visible.

You listen to the facts, but you concentrate on finding what they all add up to.

If you are too busy thinking of what you are going to say next, you miss the points and end up in the confusion of a completely unrelated line of talk.

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And now for something completely different! Which has no relationship to what we were just talking about, or does it?

Crisis means Opportunity and Danger - opportunity for growth and change
After successfully dealing with crisis you are strong

However, sometimes there is a temporary inability ot cope, and help is needed.

What is help?

• listening
• making one talk
• sincere
• caring
• assurance
• accepting - non-judgemental
• someone there to turn to
• empathic/understanding/feeling
• advise - recommendation based on facts

Listening to the person has 2 parts:

• Feelings
  • helpless
  • guilt
  • confused
  • upset
  • unsure
  • abandoned
  • alone
• Facts
  • the person missing
  • age
  • doing what (camping, etc.)
  • weather there
  • likes to explore
  • frightened of dark
  • woody area
  • cold at night
  • streams in the area

To build the connection with the person being interviewed use phrases like:

• it seems like...
• it sounds like...
• it appears to me...
• I imagine...

There are 5 feelings the person may have:

• Accepted - feel good, content, happy
• Scared - shakey, afraid
• Defensive - leary, quiet, give blunt answers
• Angry - upset, may run away from situation
• Confused - angry, frustrated, want to leave, afraid of being embarrased if I don't understand

Clues to feelings:

• tone of voice
• not articulate (scattered thoughts)
• hesitations, inflections of voice (anxiety building)
• almost crying

Accept reality

• let them have their say
• then step in
• positive re-inforcement

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To Summarize the Interview Process:

We must provide:

• Attending behaviour
  • focus - topic - person
  • posture, mannerisms - eye contact
  • our own feelings and distracting thoughts
• Listening
• Communicated understanding

How do we do this?

• Preparation of self
• Preparation of environment

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General guidelines for conducting the interview:

• Introduce yourself and state the purpose of the interview
• Create a comfortable atmosphere
• Start with non-threatening questions
  • reduces tensions
  • show you care about their feelings
• Understand their need to express emotional feelings
• Know yourself and how you come across - you get back what you project
• Know what you are after - have a general plan of attack
• Prepare the interviewee for personal questions
• LISTEN! - you will learn nothing if you do all the talking

Getting the person to start talking:

• Use structured questions that require only a 1 or 2 word response.
• Use unstructured questions (questions shuch as Why... How about... What do think may have happened? etc.) to get the interviewee thinking and talking about the topic.

Once you have the person talking, encourage them to continue, and LISTEN!

• give no explicit message to stop
• show acceptance (nod, uh-huh, yes, please continue, etc.)
• use silence
  • forces them to continue
  • 1 out of 3 times, they will add additional information - and it will probably be the most important information received

To probe an area of interest (particularly a touchy or sensitive area):

• restate words that the person just used
• summarize back what you perceived the person to say

If you don't understand what you hear - don't ignore it!

Write down what you hear - not what you think you hear!

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Link:

Prepare yourself, prepare your environment - do the "interview" well, with patience. Leave them feeling better - they will identify with you - and get all the information you can.