6.3 Active listening and follow-up techniques

Active listening and follow-up techniques are crucial skills for effective interviewing. They help you gather deeper insights, build rapport, and steer conversations productively. These skills involve fully engaging with the interviewee, using nonverbal cues, and employing strategies to maintain focus.

Mastering these techniques allows you to extract valuable information and create a comfortable environment for your subject. By combining active listening with strategic note-taking and conversation management, you'll conduct more successful interviews and gather richer, more nuanced material for your writing.

Active Listening in Interviews

Key Components of Active Listening

Top images from around the web for Key Components of Active Listening

• 

  Key Components of Communication | Organizational Behavior / Human Relations View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Understanding Listening | Boundless Communications View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  One-on-One Audio Calls | Business Communication Skills for Managers View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Key Components of Communication | Organizational Behavior / Human Relations View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Understanding Listening | Boundless Communications View original

  Is this image relevant?

1 of 3

Top images from around the web for Key Components of Active Listening

• 

  Key Components of Communication | Organizational Behavior / Human Relations View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Understanding Listening | Boundless Communications View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  One-on-One Audio Calls | Business Communication Skills for Managers View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Key Components of Communication | Organizational Behavior / Human Relations View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Understanding Listening | Boundless Communications View original

  Is this image relevant?

1 of 3

• Fully concentrate on, understand, and respond to the speaker, rather than passively hearing their words
• Maintain eye contact to show attentiveness and engagement
• Provide verbal and nonverbal feedback (nodding, saying "I see")
• Avoid interruptions or distractions (put away phone, minimize background noise)
• Paraphrase and summarize main points to demonstrate comprehension
  • Example: "So what I'm hearing is that you faced challenges with the project timeline. Is that correct?"
• Ask open-ended questions based on provided information
  • Example: "How did that experience shape your approach to future projects?"
• Offer empathetic responses to create a supportive atmosphere
  • Acknowledge emotions or experiences ("That must have been difficult")
  • Build rapport through understanding and validation

Techniques to Encourage Subject Engagement

• Maintain an open and receptive body posture
  • Lean slightly forward, keep arms uncrossed
• Practice patience during the interview process
  • Allow for moments of silence, giving interviewee time to reflect
  • Resist the urge to immediately fill pauses in conversation
• Use encouraging phrases to prompt further discussion
  • "Tell me more about that"
  • "Could you elaborate on that point?"
• Employ minimal encouragers to signal continued interest
  • Use "mm-hmm" or "uh-huh" without interrupting speaker's flow
• Mirror the interviewee's tone and energy level
  • Match their speaking pace and emotional intensity
• Vary vocal intonation to maintain interviewee's interest
  • Avoid monotone speech patterns
  • Use emphasis on key words or phrases

Nonverbal Cues for Engagement

Body Language and Facial Expressions

• Lean slightly forward to show interest and attentiveness
• Maintain an open posture with uncrossed arms and legs
• Use appropriate facial expressions matching conversation content and emotion
  • Smile when discussing positive experiences
  • Show concern when addressing challenges or difficulties
• Nod periodically to indicate understanding and encouragement
• Make eye contact to demonstrate focus and engagement
  • Balance eye contact with natural breaks to avoid staring
• Mirror the interviewee's body language subtly
  • Adopt similar posture or gestures to build rapport

Strategic Use of Silence and Vocal Cues

• Employ strategic silence to create space for elaboration
  • Pause after asking questions to allow for thoughtful responses
  • Resist the urge to immediately fill quiet moments
• Utilize vocal intonation to convey interest and emphasis
  • Raise pitch slightly at the end of statements to encourage continuation
  • Lower pitch for more serious or reflective moments
• Vary speech patterns to maintain engagement
  • Adjust speaking pace to match the interviewee's rhythm
  • Use emphasis on key words to highlight important points
• Employ paraverbal cues to show attentiveness
  • Use "mm-hmm" or "uh-huh" to encourage continued sharing
  • Incorporate brief verbal affirmations (yes, I see, go on)

Steering Interview Conversations

Techniques for Redirecting and Focusing

• Recognize tangents early in the conversation
  • Identify when discussion veers from intended subject matter
  • Note shifts in topic that don't align with interview objectives
• Use transitional phrases to smoothly redirect
  • "That's interesting, and it reminds me of [relevant topic]"
  • "Speaking of [related point], I'd like to explore..."
• Employ the "acknowledge and redirect" technique
  • Briefly acknowledge the tangent (That's a fascinating point)
  • Guide discussion back to main topic (Let's return to our earlier discussion about...)
• Prepare a list of key questions or topics as conversation anchors
  • Use these pre-planned points to refocus the interview
  • Transition between topics using prepared segues

Strategies for Maintaining Interview Structure

• Develop a mental framework of the interview's structure
  • Organize key topics in a logical sequence
  • Identify opportunities to bring conversation back on track
• Practice polite interruption when necessary
  • Wait for a natural pause in speech
  • Use phrases like "If I may, I'd like to circle back to..."
• Utilize summary statements to recap and transition
  • Summarize important points discussed
  • Use this recap to naturally shift to the next relevant topic
• Balance flexibility with maintaining interview focus
  • Allow for some exploration of unexpected but relevant topics
  • Gently guide conversation back to core objectives when needed

Effective Note-taking Techniques

Structured Note-taking Methods

• Develop a personalized shorthand system for quick information capture
  • Create abbreviations for frequently used terms
  • Use symbols to represent common concepts or themes
• Utilize structured formats like the Cornell method
  • Divide page into sections for main notes, key points, and summary
  • Leave space for post-interview reflection and analysis
• Focus on recording main ideas and essential details
  • Avoid verbatim transcription of entire conversation
  • Capture key quotes that encapsulate important points
• Employ active listening symbols to mark significant information
  • Use asterisks (*) for crucial points
  • Employ arrows (→) to indicate cause-effect relationships
  • Circle or underline terms requiring follow-up or clarification

Balancing Note-taking and Engagement

• Maintain eye contact while taking notes
  • Practice writing without looking at the paper
  • Use brief glances to ensure legibility
• Combine technology and traditional methods for information retention
  • Use voice recording apps for full audio capture (with permission)
  • Take handwritten notes for key points and visual information
• Review and expand notes immediately after the interview
  • Fill in gaps while information is fresh
  • Clarify ambiguous points or shorthand
• Develop a system for organizing and storing interview notes
  • Create a digital or physical filing system for easy retrieval
  • Include metadata like date, interviewee name, and main topics covered