Interviewing techniques for better conversations

As a journalist, conducting interviews is probably my favorite thing to do. Over the course of my career I’ve spoken with scientists, politicians, business leaders, inventors, Oscar winning actors and filmmakers, Pulitzer winners, double agents, spies, reformed criminals, and even the Dalai Lama.  By now, I’ve easily done thousands of interviews. But, probably the most nervous I’ve been is when I was tasked to report for a major newspaper on something a bit more political in nature. That’s because it meant having to speak with people who were particularly hesitant to speak to a journalist. And understandably so.   There were many things to overcome. Trust, being one of them. Nerves, was another. But, with some effort, we overcame both and had a great conversation. We didn’t have to agree on anything, either. In fact, it made the conversation more interesting.

As someone who speaks with people for a living, I think a lot about how to have good conversations.  I’ve listened to lectures b…