Interview technique.
WHAT LEADING QUESTIONS DO
Produce the answer you wanted.
WHAT ONE SOUNDS LIKE
Would it help if this were faster?
WHAT TO ASK INSTEAD
What is slow about it now?
WHAT HYPOTHETICAL QUESTIONS DO
Produce speculation.
WHAT ONE SOUNDS LIKE
Would you use something like this?
WHAT TO ASK INSTEAD
What did you do the last time this happened?
WHY PAST BEHAVIOUR
It is evidence; intention is not.
WHAT OPEN QUESTIONS DO
Let people describe their situation.
WHAT CLOSED QUESTIONS ARE FOR
Confirming a specific fact.
WHAT TO DO AFTER EVERY ANSWER
Ask about it.
WHAT THAT SOUNDS LIKE
Tell me more What happened then Why was that
WHY
The first answer is rarely the complete one.
WHAT TO DO WITH SILENCE
Allow it.
WHY
People add the most important thing after a pause.
WHAT TO AVOID
Several questions at once Interrupting Defending your assumptions Correcting them
WHAT TO LISTEN FOR
Emotion, which marks what matters Workarounds they have built Things they mention repeatedly What they have spent money on
WHY SPENDING MATTERS MOST
It is the strongest evidence of a problem worth solving.
WHAT TO ASK ABOUT IT
What they bought, what it cost, and whether it worked.
