One of the ways to help conduct a productive interview – a general word I used for any meeting where you’re asking questions of another person – is to organise your questions into basic categories in advance of the meeting.
The list below is not meant to be a definitive list. But, I hope it’s a good starting place for you or your team to create your own categories, based on whatever the interview or research, so you can also create a more complete list of questions.
First, Think of the Questions - not the Categories
Personally, I don’t find creating the categories first is helpful. I do it in reverse.
I brainstorm all possible questions. In complex situations, I think of questions by listing what …
- Information I think I know and need to confirm with the respondent (these are frequently closed questions, the least insightful type of question)
- Information I can’t get on my own. These are open questions, and fall into three types
- Questions about facts
- Questions about emotions, feelings and perspectives
- Questions which ask the respondent to speculate, suggest or brainstorm
- Information that I fear may be assumptions or estimates (what you think you know but probably don’t)
If you’ve never thought of HOW you ask a question, try this article.
Most people know the different between closed and open questions. If you don’t know, or want a chart of the difference, try this article.
I also try to spend a little time asking myself: What don’t I know to know?
After you have plenty of questions in each group, finish by:
- Removing question that doesn’t make sense in context
- Editing and organising similar questions together (pick the best of the bunch; also, is the question precise? Vague questions will generate vague answers.)
- Prioritising the questions within categories (what are ‘must haves’ versus ‘nice to know’)
- Evaluating the questions one last time to make sure you’ve asked everything you want
Sometimes I draft the questions randomly to get them out of my head, usually because I don’t have time, or I can’t be fussed with organising myself. I write them out – even poorly – so I don’t forget them. I go do something else and come back later and edit.
Once I have enough (a very smudgy number), I’ll put them into categories, groups, or buckets.
You Don't Control the Questions
Don’t control the conversation. You want the respondents to feel like they’re in control because when they’re more comfortable, they provide longer and better answers. One answer may vary from category to category, which means if the questions are organised, I can jump quickly around my notes. If your questions are in chrono order (or worse, no order at all), the respondent watches you look for your next question – which makes you look unprepared. This too may limit how much they decide to share with you.
As a simple suggestion during an interview: you might want to highlight the most important questions in a different colour so they pop out on the page.
For situations where I know I’ll ask the same questions – like focus groups, interviews in someone’s business or home, recurring negotiating contracts among suppliers – I find it faster to prepare when I have the categories organised. Even when I need to start with new questions, the categories are simply a good way to remember all the areas I need to check.
Finally, the vast majority of people on this Earth do not like being articulate on command. If appropriate, I always try to share some of the ideas with them in advance. (Never all of them: don’t overwhelm or scare them in advance of the meeting.)
The Basic Categories of Questions
Again: these are just suggestions. Use the list as thought starters to create your own list.
Background, or Facts of Establishment
Ask questions about the company or organisation. • Products, services, or offerings • Industry or category • Intellectual property • Network: associations, organizations, groups, individuals • Proprietary methodologies, steps or phases • Vision and mission
Outcome and Impact
Ask questions about the business metrics • Objectives or goals of the project or assignment • Consequences or benefits of a successful outcome • Milestones or phases along the way to be recognised • Impact to the organisation, internally and externally • Impact to the industry or category, internally and externally • Project success criteria • Measurement and evaluation
Environment
Ask questions about the wider perspective, outside of the company or organisation • Economic environment • Societal environment • The history, as well as the present state of affairs • Trends or forecasting which may influence future decisions • Any previous ideas, strategies or campaigns
Competition, Real or Perceived
Ask questions about competitors • Direct or indirect • Real or perceived • Other products, choices • Competitors increasing or decreasing in strength, and why • Anything or anyone who competes for attention in the same category or mindset
Issues, Problems and Barriers
Ask questions about the problems • Obstacles, issues or barriers that are standing in way of success • Perceptual issues – ones the audience thinks are issues by in truth, are not • Communications issues • Logistical, organisational, or operational issues • Probable causes for each issue • Best (or past) methods to address each issue • Pain Points
Opportunities, Drivers and Trends
Ask questions about opportunities • Drivers, assets to leverage • Points of differentiation • Unique selling propositions • Any ‘good news’
Audiences: Primary, Secondary, Influencers
Ask questions about the people you’re trying to reach • Primary target audience • Secondary audiences who influences the primary audience • Media influences, traditional and digital • Current or desired perceptions of any or all audiences
Features, Services, Benefits
Ask questions about specific aspects which they want, don’t want, won’t use • Usage (how, when, timing, daypart) • Why these are important to them • What they want or like but don’t really need • What they like about other alternatives, options, or competition • What they did like, but don’t need now • Gain Points
Logistics and Operations
Ask questions about the details • Budget • Time frame • Processes (approval processes, communications processes) • Resources • Internal staff, consultants, agencies of record
Internal Agenda
Ask questions about the decision-making progress • Organisational or cultural style or tone, corporate vocabulary • Potential internal politics • Other departments or units which need to be informed or updated
Others?
There are of course, many potential categories. For Design Thinking, I add a whole section on Emotions. When I worked at MasterCard, I had a whole section of Government Regulations.
Any category areas you’d add? Please add your thoughts and comments below … and thank you!
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