Asking Good Questions, Active Listening Tip Sheet


Asking Good Questions/Listening Actively

"As for the future, your task is not to foresee it, but to enable it."  Antoine de Saint'Exupery

 

PRACTICE!

  

Preparing the Ground for the Interview

 

 

Before the Start of the Interview 

 

Opening the Interview

 

During the Interview

The Meat of the Interview--Useful Questions

 

Closing the Interview 

 

After the Interview

Go over the release form and ask if s/he will sign it.  Also ask if s/he would like a copy of the interview as recorded, and then a copy of it once edited.

 

Follow up with a thank-you note and copy of the interview.

 

NOTE

Many people want to tell stories of times past because those moments appear as crystallized story nuggets to them.  The present is much messier, and the future, well, unknown.  An interesting interview option would be to ask the interviewee to tell you the three kinds of stories--one about what was, one about what is, and one about what might be--and have fun with the third.  It's okay to dream a bit, but you can also ask for ideas about how the town might actually make that dream a reality.

 

There are advantages and disadvantages to knowing your interviewee. Your subject might trust you and open up more; you might be able to anticipate excellent questions if you already know a little something about the person and the story.  You and/or your interviewee might, however, leave important details out because they are known to you. 

 

Document Version for download:  Tip Sheet on Asking Good Questions.doc