You need more than just good questions and the ability to take comprehensive notes quickly to make an interview work. You have to listen to what your subject is saying.
If you are only thinking about your next comment or writing furiously, then you'll miss clues about what your subject thinks is important, when he is lying, how she thinks and what you really should be asking more about.
Americans have some bad listening habits. The UAlbany Academic Support Services recently ran a list of these habits, which can inhibit successful learning. With a little adaptation this list is also useful to aspiring journalists.
1. Calling a subject dry
If you write off something your subject is talking about as boring or not what you are really interested in, you tune out and probably give up on the interview.
If you listen, however, you'll be able to sift and screen out the stuff you don't need and zero in on the few points he might be making that you do care about.
2. Criticizing the speaker
I do want you to look at how people look and read their body language and judge how they deliver answers to your questions, but you must remain completely non-judgemental. Transmitting a negative view of someone to them is a sure way to be cut off from any information they may be able to give you.
3. Getting Overstimulated
You have to hear out a speaker or interview subject without reacting strongly. This may not only shut down your subject if you react in a way he doesn't agree with, but it also cuts your ability to listen. You become intent only on getting across your point of view and an interview is never about you.
4. Listening only for facts
I will tell you to go to interviews knowing exactly what you need from it. What information you will try to get out of a person. But if you only listen and wait for that material, you will fail. Listen to the subject's whole story, her main ideas and how she wraps up things. Facts only back sense when you hear and can explain to others the context for them. It is interesting that the most frequent complaint from people about reporters is not that they were misquoted -- that is, not that the words themselves were wrong, but that they were quoted out of context.
5. Don't be rigid about following your outline for the interview
This is a sure way to lose out on information your subject may be willing to give you. She will see your adherence to your own list of questions as a sign you don't care what she thinks is important. Be flexible. Go where the speaker takes you. And you are allowed to say, "I don't understand how this connects to what we were just talking about."
6. Faking attention
You know how in some lectures you prop your chin in your hand and gaze intently at the speaker to show you are listening but really you are thinking of weekend plans? This is a big problem in an interview. Interview subjects need to be coaxed into talking more. That's why you nod your head and write notes and occassionally say, "That is a good way to put it." The best advice is not to fake too much at all in an interview. If a subject asks you if you are familiar with a book, for example, that he wants to quote from, do not say yes unless you really are.
7. Tolerating distraction
Set up interviews in places where there is not a lot of distraction. If there is a problem -- noise from outside, other people nearby -- stop the interview and find a new place or at least discuss the problem with the speaker before proceeding.
8. Choosing only what's easy
Remember the Eisenhower exercise which many of you could not take good notes on? Here's a big reason why. We tune out on subjects or exposition that is difficult. Many of you will be talking to professors, scientists and scholars so you should be ready for this barrier to active listening. One way to handle it is to just say, I do not understand this. Can you break it down for me? Can you explain it as you would to a child? Smart people like to be teachers. They will.
9. Letting emotion-laden words get in the way
For me I hear the expression "think out of the box" and I don't even WANT to hear what's coming next. You have to fight this in an interview.
10. Wasting the diferential between the speed of speech and the speed of thought.
Americans talk at a rate of 125 words per minute in conversation (100 if speaking before a crowd). But you listen must faster -- you actually could absorb 400 to 500 words a minute.
This is a gap that can mean trouble if you use that extra time to daydream. What you need to do is use the advantage you have as listening to do this while your subject is still speaking:
*anticipate the next point. Where is the speaker going? And do you want to go there. If not, change the subject. If so, think of a followup question.
*evaluate what you are hearing. Did you expect this? Is she telling you something you didn't have any idea of. Can you get more?
*summarize what a speaker is telling you. Does it all fit or are there gaps in logic or truth you can ask more about.
If you are only thinking about your next comment or writing furiously, then you'll miss clues about what your subject thinks is important, when he is lying, how she thinks and what you really should be asking more about.
Americans have some bad listening habits. The UAlbany Academic Support Services recently ran a list of these habits, which can inhibit successful learning. With a little adaptation this list is also useful to aspiring journalists.
1. Calling a subject dry
If you write off something your subject is talking about as boring or not what you are really interested in, you tune out and probably give up on the interview.
If you listen, however, you'll be able to sift and screen out the stuff you don't need and zero in on the few points he might be making that you do care about.
2. Criticizing the speaker
I do want you to look at how people look and read their body language and judge how they deliver answers to your questions, but you must remain completely non-judgemental. Transmitting a negative view of someone to them is a sure way to be cut off from any information they may be able to give you.
3. Getting Overstimulated
You have to hear out a speaker or interview subject without reacting strongly. This may not only shut down your subject if you react in a way he doesn't agree with, but it also cuts your ability to listen. You become intent only on getting across your point of view and an interview is never about you.
4. Listening only for facts
I will tell you to go to interviews knowing exactly what you need from it. What information you will try to get out of a person. But if you only listen and wait for that material, you will fail. Listen to the subject's whole story, her main ideas and how she wraps up things. Facts only back sense when you hear and can explain to others the context for them. It is interesting that the most frequent complaint from people about reporters is not that they were misquoted -- that is, not that the words themselves were wrong, but that they were quoted out of context.
5. Don't be rigid about following your outline for the interview
This is a sure way to lose out on information your subject may be willing to give you. She will see your adherence to your own list of questions as a sign you don't care what she thinks is important. Be flexible. Go where the speaker takes you. And you are allowed to say, "I don't understand how this connects to what we were just talking about."
6. Faking attention
You know how in some lectures you prop your chin in your hand and gaze intently at the speaker to show you are listening but really you are thinking of weekend plans? This is a big problem in an interview. Interview subjects need to be coaxed into talking more. That's why you nod your head and write notes and occassionally say, "That is a good way to put it." The best advice is not to fake too much at all in an interview. If a subject asks you if you are familiar with a book, for example, that he wants to quote from, do not say yes unless you really are.
7. Tolerating distraction
Set up interviews in places where there is not a lot of distraction. If there is a problem -- noise from outside, other people nearby -- stop the interview and find a new place or at least discuss the problem with the speaker before proceeding.
8. Choosing only what's easy
Remember the Eisenhower exercise which many of you could not take good notes on? Here's a big reason why. We tune out on subjects or exposition that is difficult. Many of you will be talking to professors, scientists and scholars so you should be ready for this barrier to active listening. One way to handle it is to just say, I do not understand this. Can you break it down for me? Can you explain it as you would to a child? Smart people like to be teachers. They will.
9. Letting emotion-laden words get in the way
For me I hear the expression "think out of the box" and I don't even WANT to hear what's coming next. You have to fight this in an interview.
10. Wasting the diferential between the speed of speech and the speed of thought.
Americans talk at a rate of 125 words per minute in conversation (100 if speaking before a crowd). But you listen must faster -- you actually could absorb 400 to 500 words a minute.
This is a gap that can mean trouble if you use that extra time to daydream. What you need to do is use the advantage you have as listening to do this while your subject is still speaking:
*anticipate the next point. Where is the speaker going? And do you want to go there. If not, change the subject. If so, think of a followup question.
*evaluate what you are hearing. Did you expect this? Is she telling you something you didn't have any idea of. Can you get more?
*summarize what a speaker is telling you. Does it all fit or are there gaps in logic or truth you can ask more about.
No comments:
Post a Comment