michaelrochonnn/mckinsey-bcg-consulting/expert-interviewing-mckinsey

Expert Interviewing and Information Extraction

When to Use

• Need to gather specific information from subject matter experts or stakeholders
• Facing interviewees who claim ignorance or lack of ideas
• Conducting interviews in sensitive or tense environments
• Following up after significant time investments by interviewees

Core Workflow

1. Apply Seven Core Interview Strategies

Leverage Authority: Have the interviewee's boss arrange the meeting and communicate importance. When interviewees know their superiors support the interview, misleading or敷衍 responses decrease significantly.

Use Two-Person Teams: Conduct interviews in pairs:

• One person asks questions while the other takes notes
• Prevents missing non-verbal cues due to note-taking distraction
• Provides dual perspectives and specialized expertise
• Ensure questioner and note-taker maintain synchronization

Listen, Don't Lead:

• Avoid seeking simple yes/no answers
• Obtain open-ended, detailed responses through active listening
• Speak minimally; ensure only that the interview stays on topic
• Remember: Interviewees usually know their industry better than you

Paraphrase Extensively:

• Restate interviewee answers in organized form
• Confirms correct understanding
• Provides opportunity for interviewees to add information or emphasize key points

Use Indirect Approaches:

• Avoid interrogation-style questioning
• Excessive pressure triggers defensive mechanisms and potential refusal to cooperate
• Maintain conversational tone rather than aggressive questioning

Limit Question Quantity:

• Focus on 2-3 critical questions; avoid wasting time on known information
• Recognize that business interviews are often unpleasant experiences
• Stop before reaching hostility or non-cooperation; leave room for future contact

Apply the Columbo Strategy:

• Basic: When leaving, pretend to remember one last question and turn back—often yields crucial information
• Advanced (Super Columbo): Wait 1-2 days, then return casually asking a follow-up question—reduces aggression and increases information flow

2. Push Past "I Have No Ideas"

When interviewees respond with "I have no ideas" or "I don't know":

• Interpret the Excuse: Recognize this usually means "I'm too busy," "I'm not smart enough," or "I'm too lazy"
• Treat as Challenge: View this as a starting point, not an endpoint—like a sculptor removing everything that doesn't look like an elephant
• Ask Specific Questions: Drill down with targeted questions (e.g., "Do you know competitor advertising spending?")
• Accept Educated Guesses:
• Numbers need not be 100% accurate
• Estimates within 2x of actual values are acceptable for business decisions
• Precision sufficient for decision-making is the standard
• Maintain Standards: Do not accept "I have no ideas" from yourself or others; with thought and investigation, useful information always exists

3. Execute Post-Interview Protocol

For interviews exceeding 30 minutes:

• Timing: Return to office and write immediately
• Format: Use company letterhead with carefully crafted, personalized language
• Content:
• Express appreciation for their time
• Demonstrate professionalism
• Avoid generic templates; customize to avoid computer-generated appearance
• Value: Leaves positive impression and builds long-term relationships; significant returns possible (e.g., clients displaying letters for years)

Key Principles

• Persistence Over Acceptance: Do not accept surface-level ignorance; dig deeper with specific questions
• Relationship Management: Maintain goodwill for future information needs
• Precision Standards: Accept directional accuracy over perfect precision for business decisions

Output

Detailed information sufficient for business decision-making, maintained professional relationships, and documented insights for analysis.