Being prepared includes…
Luizzo and Gaspar, “Demystifying the Investigative Process” in PI Magazine
* Controlling the flow of the interview
* Allowing uninterrupted dialogue
* Keeping an open mind
* Following the facts wherever they may lead
“Control the flow” and “Follow the facts wherever” seems contradictory. Do I make the interview go according to plan, or do I let it go where it does?
This reminds me of project timeline management. As soon as things go differently than planned, they seem out of control.
Control is not making a plan and sticking to it. Control is consciously acting based on all information available in the moment.
In the interview, this means listening without interrupting and then deciding what to ask next.
In a project, control means looking for surprises and information, then deciding what to do next based on all this and our objective.