Interview Write Up Assignment

Interview Write Up Assignment
Rakesh Mittoo Dr. Rakesh Mittoo 1 THE UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA Inter – Departmental Correspondence DATE: Januar y 16, 2023 TO: All Students of Business Communications, GMGT 2010, A01 – A04 FROM: Rakesh Mittoo, Instructor SUBJECT: Writing Assignment #2: Interview Write – Up Dr. Rakesh Mittoo 2 Interviews with people help you to learn from their expertise, discover something interesting and vivid in their lives, solve a problem, or find answers to your questions. By interviewing someone knowledgeable in a field, you can gather relevant information on a topic and enhance your understanding of it. As a form of research away from the library, an interview can also help you to generate ideas on a topic. To be successful in this form of oral communication, you will be required to use appropriate questioning, responding, and listening skills. For this assignment, think about something that touches our lives — in university, at work, or at home — and interview someone who can speak with the authority of experience or knowledge. For instance, you may decide to interview an employer on the differences in the management styles of male and female managers. You will conduct an interview with someone from one of the following categories of people: Dr. Rakesh Mittoo 3  a manager, a supervisor, a co – worker  a parent or an adult in a family other than your own  a professional: an athlete, an accountant, a lawyer, etc.  a student from another faculty who has a job  an entrepreneur, a volunteer, a community worker Conduct an interview on aspects of his or her job that you and your audience — your instructor or other students — will find informative and interesting. Also, prepare questions on the topics or responsibilities of the interviewee’s job so that you can elicit good information and insights from their perspective. Then you will submit an Interview Write – Up (see guidelines on the next page. Dr. Rakesh Mittoo 4 In addition, follow these instructions for the interview and your report on it: Determine your purpose or goal for this interview. Your goal is to gather information on the interviewee’s work role and/or discover his or her perspective on issues related to interviewee’s job? Read the attached handout, “Types of Interview Questions” and “Tips for Interviews.” Decide on categories for your questions and generate primary (open – ended) and secondary (follow up) questions. Arrange these questions in a meaningful sequence. Submit this questionnaire at the end of your Interview Write – Up. Dr. Rakesh Mittoo 5 Conduct your interview and, based on your notes, write a short report that meets the following requirements: Provide adequate background information for the audience to understand the significance of the role and the purpose of your interview. (One paragraph: six to seven lines) Describe the interviewee chosen to answer your questions: occupation and or position, education, work experience, knowledge in his or her field or job -related topics/issues you’ve begun to investigate. (One short paragraph: do not exceed 3 lines.) Summarize the information you’ve obtained from the interviewee, using some principle of organization to give it a coherent shape. ( Avoid reporting in a question -and -answer format. ) One such pattern of organization may move from generalizations to specifics or vice versa. Support the ideas or opinions with the interviewee’s explanations, observation, and examples. (Four to five paragraphs) Dr. Rakesh Mittoo 6 Discuss your own observation about what you’ve learned from this interview. To prepare for the last para, consider any ONE of these questions: What is implication of one of the interviewee’s opinions? Did your findings from the interview conform to your expectations, or did they surprise you and why. Note: focus on one of the interviewee’s observations or one of the interviewee’s ideas for discussion. Use either Personal Tie – in or SEC strategy to develop and support your claim. These strategies were explained in class (See Lecture on Response – to – Reading Guidelines ). (One paragraph) Wherever appropriate, use transitions to link sentences and paragraphs, and edit your final draft carefully before handing it in. Dr. Rakesh Mittoo 7 IMPORTANT NOTE: Either at the end of your Interview Write – Up or on a separate sheet, provide the following: the interviewee’s name, phone number and e – mail address, and the date of the interview. LENGTH: 4 pages maximum (1200 words). Follow the guidelines about the title page and formatting of assignments as explained in the course outline. The required length does not include the title page and the list of questions at the end of the paper. DUE DATE: See Course Outline Dr. Rakesh Mittoo 8 The key to successful research is often to interview an expert on your subject. But this may be easier said than done. Just finding an expert requires patience and persistence — and once found, such a person must be persuaded to help you. Years ago someone gave me “four magic words” for success in communication. I have used them in letters and in person. They are “I need your help.” If you get this idea across simply and sincerely, you’ll find you are seldom refused. Getting an expert to agree to an interview is one thing; the actual interview is quite another. Here are a few tips for making the most of your opportunity: Know exactly how the expert can help you . Inform the interviewee of the nature of the interview and the agenda to be covered. Use printed sources to get a basic understanding of your subject, and then ask the expert to update your facts or to give you insights into specific aspects of the issue or group. Dr. Rakesh Mittoo 9 Make a positive first impression . Be warm and cheerful, self – confident, and respectful. Also, be sure to be on time for the interview appointment. Be open . State what you’re after and why. Not explaining your needs and motives may make your source hesitant to provide information. Do not overstate your knowledge of the subject . Once you have demonstrated your basic understanding of the subject, let the interviewee take over. Most people do not mind your being uninformed about specifics and may even help you more if you acknowledge your lack of knowledge. Do not be too quick to accept a no . You may have to ask a question several different ways to get an answer. Dr. Rakesh Mittoo 10 Ask for names of other contacts and other places to look for information . If you don’t get all the information you need out of an interview, you may get a name. The next person or resource may provide what you need. Be respectful and considerate . Let interviewees know that you realize their time and their good name are precious. Clear the taking of notes or the use of a tape recorder with the interviewee. Be sure to express your appreciation . A handwritten thank – you note to the person who has helped you is not only courteous, but also may encourage cooperation in the future. Dr. Rakesh Mittoo 11 The purpose of the interview and the nature of the participants determine the types of questions that are asked. When you plan the interview, bear in mind that you ask questions (1) to get information, (2) to motivate the interviewee to respond honestly and appropriately, and (3) to create a good working relationship with the other person. To obtain both factual information and underlying feelings, you will probably want to use various types of questions: Open -ended questions . Questions like “What do you think your company wants most from its suppliers?” invite the interviewee to offer an opinion, not just a yes, no, or one -word answer. You can learn some interesting and unexpected things from open -ended questions, but they diminish your control of the interview. The other person’s idea of what’s relevant may not coincide with yours, and you may waste some time getting the interview back on track. Use open -ended questions to warm up the interviewee and to look for information when you have plenty of time to conduct the conversation. Dr. Rakesh Mittoo 12 Direct open -ended questions . This type of question suggests a response. For example, “What have you done about…?” assumes that something has been done and calls for an explanation. With direct open -ended questions you have somewhat more control over the interview, yet you still give the other person some freedom in framing a response. This form is good to use when you want to get a specific conclusion or recommendation from someone. Closed -ended questions . Closed -ended questions require yes or no answers or call for short responses: “Did you make a reservation for the flight?” “Tell me your age group: 18 -25, 26 -35, 36 -45, 46 -55, 56 and over.” Questions like these produce specific information, save time, require less effort from the interviewee, and eliminate bias and prejudice in answers. The disadvantage is that they limit the respondent’s initiative and may prevent important information from being revealed. They are better for gathering information than for prompting an exchange of feelings. Restatement questions . Restatement, or mirror , questions invite the respondent to expand on an answer: “You said you dislike completing travel vouchers. Is that correct?” They also signal the interviewee that you are paying attention. Restatements provide opportunities to clarify points and correct misunderstandings. Use them to pursue a subject further or to encourage the other person to explain a statement. You can also use restatement questions to soothe upset customers or co -workers. By acknowledging the other person’s complaint, you gain credibility. Dr. Rakesh Mittoo 13
Interview Write Up Assignment
R. Mittoo  A manager, a supervisor, an employee, or a self – employed professional  Someone whose job is important , interesting, or demanding  Someone who has an unusual job or someone who is a role model  Someone who is NOT a parent, a relative, or a friend  The focus of your interview is on the interviewee’s job . Select 3 – 5 topics related to his or her job or an aspect of the job.  A passion for work  Ability to explain clearly  Good communication skills  Competence: knowledge and experience (minimum six months, part time or full time)  Credibility: honesty, openness, consistency, authenticity  Is curious, knowledgeable, and prepared  Engages in friendly or respectful conversation not confrontation; shows respect by avoiding stereotyping someone as a member of a class, ethnicity, group, or gender and considers unique, individual qualities  Listens carefully to understand, identify themes, interpret words and emotions, probe meanings, seek new information, avoid judgement, and see things from their perspective  Brings out the human element  Makes the interviewee comfortable Dr. Rakesh Mittoo  Time: one hour  Venue: office or a place free from distractions  10 to 15 open – ended questions with probes  Take notes and/or record ( Do not transcribe for your Interview Write up; instead paraphrase content from the interview). DO NOT use quotes.  Dress: semi – formal or professional, limit jewelry  An interview has a goal. Define your purpose specifically and get good information: clear and accurate, truthful, authentic, insightful and compelling, sufficient, and relevant to your purpose  It’s also a dialogue to build rapport with your interviewee.  Directive: interviewer has complete control over purpose, content, and structure, etc.  Non – directive: interviewee is an expert and has control.  For your interview, follow a moderately scheduled format: ◦ List all primary or major questions and share with the interviewee before the interview. ◦ Include some secondary and probe questions. ◦ Ask questions in the order listed. ◦ May or may not use probe questions  You should speak in the beginning to state the goal of the interview and to establish a rapport with the interviewee. Here’re some opening techniques: ◦ State the problem, issue , or need. ◦ Tell how you learned about it. ◦ Ask for an advice. ◦ Identify the person who sent you or arranged the interview. ◦ Give the name of the company, organization, person, or group you represent. ◦ After your opening, continue asking your questions until you’ve finished. Dr. Rakesh Mittoo  Concluding: ◦ Signal that time is up. ◦ Declare completion of the purpose.  Supporting and Appreciating: ◦ Make personal enquiries. ◦ Express appreciation or satisfaction.  Summarizing: (Ten minutes) ◦ Confirm important assertions. ◦ Check significant facts for accuracy or to make additions. ◦ Clarify details and technical terms or information. ◦ Use clearing – house questions (e.g. “Have I covered everything?”)  Phrase questions ◦ Clearly in words that the interviewee understands ◦ Precisely to define the issue or state the context (Ask who, what, when, where, why, and how — how much and how many) ◦ Directly or more simply ◦ Related to the issue ◦ Positively rather than negatively ◦ In the range of average 21 words for each question  Ask open – ended question: Use what, how, do you, at times why.  Use specific and closed questions as needed.  Use probes: ◦ Repeat probe – if a question is unanswered ◦ Silent probe – if you’re expecting more ◦ Wording probe – if you need definition of a term ◦ Nudging probe – if you get one – word answer ◦ Overview probe – if you need any information that might have been missed  Ask behavioral questions to understand the experience: ◦ Situation ◦ Task/problem ◦ Action ◦ Result
Interview Write Up Assignment
Interview with Shelley Morissette GMGT 2010 A03 Dr. Rakesh Mitoo October 10 th, 2018 In today’s increasingly competitive retail marketplace, the importance of providing exceptional customer service is one way that firms are maintaining a competitive advantage. The responsibility of coaching and training staff to be able to provide quality customer service often falls to the store managers. I had the opportunity to sit dow n with a store manager at Swim Store and disc uss the strategies that she currently uses to reach her store targets and meet the needs of her customers. Swim Store ’s approach to customer service is more hands -on than s ome other stores in the mall , and the differences are evident as soon as you enter the store. Each customer is met with a friendly greeting upon entering the store, and the expectation is t hat each customer will have a unique shopping experience and develop a relationship with the associate who helps them. In order t o better understand a nd meet the needs of their customers, sales associates are expected to continue the relationship throughout the entirety of a customer’s visit . In this interview I will e xplore the methods that a Swim Store manager uses to motivate her staff to reach their performance targets. Shelley Morissette has been working in a retail setting for forty years and has been a manager for thirty of them . She was first attracted to the retail sector because of her love for making people happy, and this remains the favo urite part of her job today. Swim Store ’s mission to make everybody, and every body feel good half naked provides Morissette and her staff with many opportunities to help people feel great in a bathing suit as they take on life’s adventures. Like most reta il businesses, working at Swim Store has its challenges. Many customers enter the store in a negative mindset or feel vulnerable and insecure about their bodies. This makes it difficult to develop a relationship, and staff often have to work hard to get the customer to open up to them . In these situations, i t is possible for staff to become deflated and unmotivated, so Morissette focuses on making the efforts of her staff recognized and appreciated so that they know their efforts are valued by her, the manage r, and by extension, the organization as a whole . She believes that staff who feel appreciated, and who have a strong relationship with their manager and organization , are easier to motivate because they are actively engaged in their work. One aspect of motivation that she focuses on is the power of a positive attitude. Morissette believes that creating a fun and positive environment for her staff by maintaining friendly relationships and taking an interest in their personal lives can help them want to come to work and do their best for the team. By keeping staff motivated to do their best every day, Morissette is able to ensure that more customers receive attentive service from her staff. Morissette also believes in the importance of setting the example for her staff by modelling behaviours that lead to successful sales and happy customers. Leading by example is important because it reinforces the verbal discussions that you would have when training and allows the trainee to learn different techniques. For example, w hen she is training a team member to effectively add on additional items to a sale she will make sure t o schedule that person with someone who is a strong performer in this area. Morissette ar gues that training staff to use specific techniques is only effective if her staff observe herself and her management team making these efforts as well. Leading by example and being visible to her staff is on e way that Morissette continues to train her team to achieve their targets. As a manager, Morissette is also tasked with handling conflict in numerous situations. She is often called on to resolve tensions between co -workers, or to attend to unhappy customers. Her strategies for dealing with conflict in the workplace stem from her overall philosophy as a manager: put the needs of the team first. In the case of an unhappy customer it is in the entire company’s best interest for Morissette to act in a way that ensures the customer leaves th e store satisfied with their experience. She handles these situations by remaining calm and doing her best to make the customer happy, and this is the procedure she expects her team to follow as well. When it comes to conflict between co -workers , more proa ctive steps must be taken. In Morissette’s experience most conflicts between co -workers arise from differences in personality . Morissette has found that getting the two parties to address their issues with each other in a respectful way is the most effecti ve way to reduce confl ict and the resulting tensions . When a team member comes to Morissette with a complaint about another co -worker, she encourages them to approach that person and explain how their behaviour is impact their environment before she person ally becomes involved in the matter. This gives the two co -workers the opportunity to work problems out between themselves instead of escalating the issue. As well as e ncouraging open and respectful communication among co -workers, Morissette al so encoura ges her team to be open with her about any issues they have. She believes that having strong relationships with her team allows her to be a more effective problem solver. Part of developing those relationships involves dedicating time each week to meet wit h each team member and discuss their achievements and overall progress towards their goals. She also makes time available during these meetings to hear from her staff and follow up on any previous concerns. Throughout my interv iew with Morissette we consistently returned to a discussion about the importance of relationships. Morissette believes that having the ability to develop strong relationships with her customers and staff is what makes her an effective salespe rson and lead er. I believe that having the ability to develop relationships is a skil l that is highly valued across many industries. In any situation where it is necessary to communicate with another person or work as part of a team these interpersonal skills would be necessary. Even profess ions like accounting, which are often perceived as suitable for introverted or shy individuals, require personnel to be able to form connections with others. When I met with recruiters from public accounting firms at the CPA Wine and Chees e event last month each and every one of them listed strong interpersonal skills as an important credential when selecting candidates. Even though relationship building is not often specifically taught in many classes, it is evident that developing s trong interpersonal skills can be beneficial to those entering the workforce.