Have a sponsor set up the meeting. Sponsor introductions can go a long way in emphasizing the importance of the interview and acknowledging the value that people have to add.

Prepare an interview guide (not a script) beforehand. Usually you should share it with the interviewees ahead of time so that they have time to think. But don’t share this guide if you think it will tempt people to give “prepared” answers, or consult others for the “right” answers.

Doing interviews with two interviewers (i.e., two-on-one) allows one person to focus on listening and note-taking. If you use this approach, the note-taker/listener should keep a relatively low profile to encourage the interviewee to speak freely. Interviewing alone is better if you expect delicate or risky topics to come up. If, in a two-on-one interview, you get the sense that the interviewee is holding back, consider rescheduling a one-on-one interview.

Spend a moment at the beginning of the interview to let people know that their information is valuable, and it will not be used to get anyone in “hot water.”

Start with a warm-up question that is open-ended and allows people to state their point of view. Typically, people need 5–10 minutes to get their brains engaged on the topic at hand.

Start the interview with the easier topics first. Leave more sensitive issues for later.

Don’t ask too much. Ask one question at a time. Go slowly. The speed at which you ask questions can signal to the interviewee whether you are more concerned about your own agenda or more interested in his point of view.

Simplify questions to keep learning and discovery focused on small pieces of the problem. Exploring smaller pieces allows you to see the nuances of the problem.

Briefly paraphrase what you’ve heard from your interviewee to affirm your understanding and so they can correct you in the moment.

When interviewing, be sure to listen, not lead. Focus on learning, not demonstrating your intelligence.

Use an indirect approach. Ask “What bothers you most?” (instead of “When do you hate your job?”).

Use a “Colombo” tactic: act dumb but keep probing.

Show respect for what people can contribute. People at all levels have something to contribute.

Always send thank-you notes. You may find that you need the help of your interviewees later, and courtesies such as thank-you notes go a long way toward making people feel acknowledged and appreciated.

Organize all your findings.

Take a day and reread everything. Invest the time.

Then, using an outline format, ask yourself:

Make a list of the key points of your findings.

Seek at least three supporting references or data points for each key point. Make sure they are distinct, and yet capture the comprehensive situation.

Review your sources. Check to be sure they are solid and that you have documented them (subject to confidentiality). Identify the gaps and where you need additional info.

Talk with additional people if you need to fill in the gaps.

Start with what matters most, and set the context for what you want. This can sound like: “For me, what I most want to do is to create a shared understanding....” Sharing what is important to you may seem like common sense, but without it, people do not know your intention. It is not enough to know your intention; you must communicate it to the group.

Say exactly and specifically what you want people to understand. Use as many distinctions as needed. It is not enough to describe something as “blue” if what you really mean is “turquoise.” Don’t rely on subtext. Don’t expect them to “figure it out.” You are responsible for calling a spade a spade. Use proof points when you can. For example, “I believe the issue is turquoise because of these three points of fact....”

Present everything as “early findings,” not truth. The word “truth” has a charge to it. The phrase “early findings” suggests you are doing good discovery and your observations are for the team to understand together.

Avoid easing in. The work of Chris Argyris has introduced this concept of “easing in,” which is where you try and soften a message by delivering it indirectly through hints and leading questions. Easing in conveys that you have a point of view you are unwilling to share directly, which suggests that the issue is embarrassing or shameful. A better approach is to make the subject clear and discussable by stating your thoughts straight out and indicating that you are interested in working on solving the situation.

Avoid using the word “you” when you are about to critique something. Rather than saying, “Your ideas are unclear,” you can say, “I need more clarity on those ideas.” You can state your perceptions, feelings, and assumptions, but you should not state other people’s assumptions and feelings.

Remember that people will take in different pieces of information at different speeds and in different ways. You want to think about presenting findings at a summary level and at a specific level, with both qualitative and quantitative facts. Look for ways to paint a picture or use an analogy.

Ask people to comment on what they see differently and why. Remember the goal is a shared understanding. You want to make sure everyone sees things fully and expansively (versus agreeing). Clarity and understanding is what you seek.

Clearly define the problem to be solved, as explicitly, concretely, and politically incorrectly as you can. Lay out the criteria to be met. The best problem statements focus outward on a specific customer need or market-facing goal, rather than inward on some organizational view. For example, “We want to serve our mid-market customers with a new online service” is better than, “Our division has to grow by 20%.” Keep the session focused on the problem you want to solve.

Have ground rules. Just like a great game, you need to know how to play. Some sample ground rules are:

Pace it out. The best facilitators nurture the conversation in its early stages so that the session allows people to start generating ideas and helps people find their groove. Make sure that no train of thought is followed for too long, because people start to check out. You want to manage the flow but not over-engineer it. Change the pace if you want to change the outcomes. If people are stuck, have them do something different: get them to work together or apart, outside or inside, at the whiteboard or at their desks.

Introduce inspiration. No team can come up with stuff out of the blue, so a good way of spurring really great and inspiring ideas is to introduce a new element. A book, a speaker, or some “homework” to get fresh points of view are all useful. As the leader, you influence the team’s ideas by what you put in front of them. Speakers can be someone within the company or out; books can be on point or far afield (hint: children’s books can spur great ideas).

Make a record. People can be very fearful of losing an idea if it is not in writing. Knowing that it’s being captured frees people up to focus on idea generation. Appoint one person to note down ideas that come out of the session. Avoid the temptation to evaluate the ideas during the session, and remind people the session is for creating, not critiquing.