Crap from the barn

I felt for this entry it would be helpful for me to revisit an interviewing and counseling class I have taken within the last five years.  I felt this would be an effective guide to evaluate myself in terms of being an effective interviewer.  I can recall that there were specific areas that I needed to improve and wondered if the teacher interviews would reveal the same areas for improvement.

I am consulting the book Intentional Interviewing and Counseling Facilitating Client Development in a Multicultural Society written by Allen and Mary Ivey.  The book displays a pyramid similar to that of the “food pyramid” in which most of us are familiar.  The foundation of the pyramid begins with competence in ethics and peaks with one being able to determine a personal style and theory.  I find my skills most appropriately categorized in the four Basic Listening Sequences: open and closed questions, client observation skills, encouraging, paraphrasing, and summarizing and reflection on feelings.  There are times when I have ventured up the scale to an actual five stage interview structure which includes gathering data, initiating a rapport, and generalizing to daily life.  I think there are times when I reach even beyond that and other times I need to attend to details lower on the pyramid. I suppose this is just the process of a novice interviewer.

I think my skills as an active listener are beneficial in being able to paraphrase, summarize and encourage the interviewee. The fault here becomes apparent when I get focused on the questions I have written down in front of me.  If I become insecure or doubt my lack of knowledge on the subject, which is why I am interviewing, then I neglect to paraphrase/summarize.  I do not open new areas of discussion because I am hesitant to stray from my notes.  Similarly, I do not always allow the interviewee to direct the discussion. However, it seems I can always encourage which might be why I can initiate self exploration for the interviewee.

I also think I do an adequate job of asking open and closed questions. Those questions that ask, who, what, when and where are m ore informational.  I really try to concentrate on not getting caught up in the “yes and no” trap.  However, I do feel there are times when those questions are appropriate. In relation to asking questions, I think my biggest downfall is that I do not probe enough at times. I take what the interviewee gives me and I leave it at that. This may be tied closely to my personality.

In addition, I can sense, in my voice that silent moments make me nervous.  I then tend to use such expressions as hum, okay, and good in an attempt to fill dead space. If done often enough, it can become distracting.  I know at times both the interviewer and the interviewee need to collect thoughts or have time to respond but it makes me uneasy.

After this self –critique, I think I need to continue to practice and make a conscious effort to gain more information from my interviewee.  I do need to probe more to get a deeper understanding of the material I am exploring through the interview.  Overall, I think I do an average job for someone that does not interview frequently. I believe it is a skill one has to acquire over time and repetition.

Bibliography

Ivey, A.,& M (2003).Intentional Interviewing and Counseling: Facilitating Client Development in a Multi-

                Cultural Society.  Pacific Grove: Brooks/Cole – Thomson Learning.