Claim OwnershipThe Art Of The Interview
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© William Bowman
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Interviewing people is an art. The ability to sit across from someone and create a safe, intimate space for them to share with you their feelings, thoughts, and ideas is a powerful skill.
What questions do I ask? How do I make my guest feel comfortable?
In The Art of the Interview, we explore these questions and more, diving deep into the subtle and intricate skill of interviewing through the lens of psychology, science, religion, and other disciplines. Our goal is to become better interviewers, whether we're interviewing the President of the United States or getting coffee with a friend.
What questions do I ask? How do I make my guest feel comfortable?
In The Art of the Interview, we explore these questions and more, diving deep into the subtle and intricate skill of interviewing through the lens of psychology, science, religion, and other disciplines. Our goal is to become better interviewers, whether we're interviewing the President of the United States or getting coffee with a friend.
65 Episodes
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Like a photograph, the quality of the frame will make an interview better or worse. In this week's episode, I talk about the many ways I frame interviews before, during, and after the interview is complete, and how that makes for a better interview.
I break down my tried methods for creating a safe, comfortable environment for your interviewees while also maximizing the technical quality of your recordings.
From the emails you send before the interview to the final follow-up afterward, every step is crucial to ensuring a smooth and successful conversation.
Here are my framing emails, outlines, and bullets so you can use them for your own interviews.
Password: artoftheinterview
Ever gone on a date with someone who only talks about themselves? Me neither. But that would be obnoxious, on a date or while being interviewed.
In this episode, I talk about how much it's appropriate to talk about yourself, your story, your thoughts, and your agenda while interviewing someone. Surprisingly, it's more nuanced than you might think.
YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCg73E-2NebZvD0df2JCEt8w
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2tzoxgGJLmzVfSg0vwFQz4
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-art-of-the-interview/id1542998239
Your mindset will influence how your interview. In this week's episode, I talk about three essential mindsets to practice to get better interviews.
YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCg73E-2NebZvD0df2JCEt8w
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2tzoxgGJLmzVfSg0vwFQz4
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-art-of-the-interview/id1542998239
Everyone knows the experience of sitting across from someone who you disagree with and feel animosity towards. In this week's episode, I talk about five steps to help you step out of antipathy and into empathy so you can have better interviews and conversations with people who you just don't see eye to eye.
YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCg73E-2NebZvD0df2JCEt8w
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2tzoxgGJLmzVfSg0vwFQz4
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-art-of-the-interview/id1542998239
The Art of the Interview is back! Starting in February 2024, I'll be hosting a weekly episode and releasing it every Tuesday.
In this week's episode, I talk about twelve reasons why I think asking better questions is essential to being human in 2024 (in addition to just giving me something to podcast about). From expanding empathy to increasing both tolerance and intolerance (yes, you heard me right), these are a few reasons among many I think asking better questions can help make the world a better place.
Also, the Art of the Interview is now on YouTube! You're welcome. You can now stare at my beardy face for a full quarter-hour plus as I quack on about doing better interviews :-)
YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCg73E-2NebZvD0df2JCEt8w
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2tzoxgGJLmzVfSg0vwFQz4
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-art-of-the-interview/id1542998239
Bulletproof Problem Solving Book: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/41091107
In this episode, I talk about why you should delegate your tech responsibilities and, if you do, how to go about it. I tell two stories from The Art of the Interview by Lawrence Grobel about times his delegation has gone wrong and talk about what we can learn from it.
Through this episode, you'll understand why it's important to give away as many of the technical responsibilities you can. You'll also get some on-the-ground tips for what to talk about with your tech crew so that they understand exactly what they need to do and that you're the one in charge.
In this episode, I talk more about why research is (for most interviewers) essential to getting the best interview you can. I also read a passage from The Art of the Interview by Lawrence Grobel about how research is essential to knowing the right questions to ask.
Through this episode, you'll get some fresh ideas of how to do research on your interviewees no matter the subject you're interviewing them about. You'll also have a solid understanding of why this part of the process is essential to getting the interviews you want.
In this episode, I talk about why research is (for most interviewers) essential to getting the best interview they can. In it, I read a passage from The Art of the Interview by Lawrence Grobel about his research philosophy.
Through this episode, you'll get some fresh ideas of how to do research on your interviewees no matter the subject you're interviewing them about. You'll also have a solid understanding of why this part of the process is essential to getting the interviews you want.
In this episode, I talk about how to be a better sports interviewer. I base my tips off of an anecdote in The Art of the Interview by Lawrence Grobel about ESPN interviewer Roy Firestone. The book makes two important points about Firestone's style:
He is curious about the entire human, not just their sports ability
He is positive in his approach to interviewing them
By listening to this episode, you'll be able to be a more holistic and person-centered sports interviewer. You'll get better sound bytes from the athletes that you interview, plus you'll be able to expand these techniques into other types of interviewing that tend to be less emotion-centered such as business, technology, and news.
This episode explores one of the central interviewing techniques I talk about on this podcast: "holding the space." It answers the questions of:
What is "holding space" during an interview?
What does it mean?
What does it not mean?
Why is it important?
How does it fit in with your overall purpose as an interviewer?
This episode will unpack this somewhat abstract topic of holding the space. By the end of the episode, you'll also be better able to identify your own prejudices and preferences. You'll have some different techniques for not letting them get in the way of being totally present and safe for your interviewee. You'll also understand how to create safety and comfort and make room for anything that comes during the interview, no matter how difficult or how much you disagree with it!
In this episode, I take two prompts from The Art Of The Interview by Lawrence Gobel and explore the two subjects of:
Following the energy
The importance of having genuine curiosity.
This episode explores two central techniques of interviewing that are used by one of the best interviewers in the world (as well as yours truly!). By listening to this episode, you'll be able to better know when to stay on-topic and when to let the interview go off the tracks a little bit. You'll also see the importance of genuine curiosity in an interview setting and find inspiration to get curious as an interviewer yet again!
In the same way that you speak to different people in different styles, different interviewing styles help to create safety, comfort, and intimacy on an interviewing set. In this episode, I explore how to choose the style of conversation based on three elements:
Your Interviewee
Your Audience
Your Medium
Thinking about your style in the context of these three things will help you identify whether you should use a more formal or a more casual style when doing your interviews.
If you're going to do a pre-interview, you should do it well. Pre-interviews can be powerful ways to build intimacy and discover where to focus in the interview before you ever show up with you interviewee.
In this episode, I talk about seven tips for rocking your pre-interviews, including:
Do it well before the interview takes place
Be totally present
Focus less on ideas, more on story
Follow the energy
Find the story for each individual
Keep detailed notes to reference later on
If possible, finish up by scheduling the interview
There's a lot in common between interviews and coffee dates. And many of the same techniques that work for building intimacy and trust in one work well in the other too.
In this episode, I talk about eleven crossover skills that you can use both as an interview as well as when you're just out for coffee with a friend...or a family member...or a good-natured clown. They're all the same.
Be on time
The space matters
What are you drinking and who's buying the drinks?
Set an intention
Set the container, hold the space
Have a plan, then be flexible
Hold anything that comes
Reflecting posture
Be present where you are
Actively listen and respond
Respect their time
As humans we have preferences and prejudices. But as interviews, we have a responsibility to hold whatever comes. And sometimes our prejudices and preferences can get in the way of being fully present with someone who we're interviewing.
In this episode, I talk about t what it means and what it doesn't mean to hold the space for someone in your interview. I finish up with a call to all interviewers: to take a stand for people's humanity and hold the space, no matter what comes from their mouth.
Who out there experiences monkey mind before or during an interview?
What do I ask them once I get on set?
What do I ask next?
How do I transition subjects?
Oh no, I made them angry! How do I get them to be not-angry at me?
Oh no! I didn't even hear the last two minutes of what they said because I was lost in my thoughts!
Monkey mind running the show is the number-one enemy of being present with your interviewee during an interview.
That said, over the years I've developed techniques for how to bring my mind back to the present moment when I notice myself not present during the interview. And the great thing is that, by practicing these things for my interviewing, I also notice myself being more present and monkey mind running the show less in the rest of my life as well.
In this episode I talk about a few of my own techniques. You can use them, or you can find your own. But either way, I encourage you to find a way to calm your mind and center your heart. That way you'll be able to be present, attentive, and curious for your interviewee and honor them with your being in the now with them.
It's Easter Saturday - the lesser talked about middle day of the Easter Weekend. And what's so special about Easter Saturday that nobody really talks about it?
Well, it's the day that God was silent.
Silence can be scary. But used well, it can heighten the power of the speech that follows or came before.
The day of silence between the Friday where Christ was crucified and the Sunday that Christ rose again heightens the anticipation and power of the day he rose again, supposedly. And in the same way, we can use silence in our interviews to highlight and create anticipation for what our interviewee is going to say or has already said.
Don't run from silence. Use it in your interviews to increase the power of your questions and the answers of the people that you interview.
Recently my short film The Witness was selected for the International Christian Film and Music Festival, one of the largest faith-based film festivals in the world.
And I'm giving you early access to see it.
Why? During the production of this film, I put into practice many of the techniques that I talk about on this podcast. And in this episode, I talk about the story behind the People Project plus the reason why you should really consider practicing the techniques of mastering the art of the interview.
To get access and view The Witness, click on this link and enter the password that's contained inside this episode.
And don't forget to enjoy the film as well!
What do you do when an interviewee (sometimes a central interviewee!) suddenly gets nervous and gets cold feet about the interview? How do you navigate the emotional intricacies that are involved in getting someone to feel comfortable and safe doing an interview with you?
In this episode, I talk about some techniques that I used to talk down my interviewees and restore their confidence in the process when they get nervous about the interview. I talk about how to:
Identify the concerns
Normalize and legitimize the concerns
Increase and reaffirm their agency
Tighten up the container
Actually fulfill on your commitments
These items have helped me to calm and reconnect with multiple interviewees and get them back on track for doing a powerful and comfortable interview with me.
There's a lot of good interviewers in the world, many of them better than I am! And recently I've been reading about some of their tips and tricks to be better at interviewing, and I've been realizing I have a lot of room to grow.
In this episode, I talk about three interviewing tips in which I could definitely improve:
Stay Silent After An Interviewee Finishes Their Answer
Don't Ask Multiple Questions In One Question
Research Long and Question Short
Looks like I have some things to practice in upcoming interviews! And I hope you get something out of exploring these tips too.
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