John Adair's 100 Greatest Ideas for Brilliant Communication

Idea 83: Structuring the interview

Structuring or planning the interview is necessary if it is to avoid becoming a shapeless conversation. The amount of structure will depend on the purpose of the interview and your own experience. The more experienced you are, the less you will need a preplanned structure of questions to be asked. You should always, however, have a note of the main questions or issues you want to ask or raise.

Like games of chess, interviews have a beginning, middle and end. Each requires skill, as does making the transitions from one part to the other. This table may help to clarify this.

Opening

Introduce yourself and mention any other important factors. Confirm the purpose of the meeting straight away. Put the other person ...