What if we stopped trying to make everyone comfortable in research interviews?

I’m doing a context analysis for a participative action research project. Amongst other things, this means conducting series of conversations with key stakeholders. And I decided to try a different approach. Instead of carefully easing into the topic, I stated my intention right at the start: I’m here to find the points of friction. To hear about where it flows, and what isn’t working smoothly. For a moment, I worried this would just make people defensive.

The opposite happened. That transparency seemed to create a ‘brave space,’ an invitation to drop the diplomatic veneer. The signal was: I can handle it, just give me the honest version. The resulting conversation felt more direct and, to me, more valuable.

Maybe the most respectful way to conduct an interview isn’t to make it as comfortable as possible, but to signal that you’re ready to also hear the uncomfortable truth.

#interviewing #researchmethods #communication #feedbackculture #facilitation