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Interview Guide

Intro

Check that the answers from the screener are correct

Describe the process and rules of the interview: timing, permission to record audio, impersonal, they can refuse to answer any question (if it’s not appropriate)

No right or wrong answers

It is important for us to go back to the past, to remember the chronology of events as best as possible

Tell me a bit about yourself: What do you do?

Subject info

Name

Role / Job title

Experience

Purchase summary

Company info

Name

Size

Type

Maturity

Decision-Making Timeline

What does “making a decision” mean for this segment (e.g. changing something in their governance or spending money)? How often do they have to make them?

What decisions do you make that are high impact or high importance?

Run me through the decisions you made recently to run and improve your community

What are the steps or stages that customers go through when making decisions? What are the key events that propel them along this timeline?

Let’s talk about one of those decisions. Did someone make it individually or as a group? Are decisions made collaboratively? When and when aren’t they?

Can you tell me a little bit about the process? Can you break it down into steps or phases? If decisions are made collaboratively, how is this process managed?

How long did it take to get to a decision? Are you happy with the speed of your decision-making in general?

When was the last time someone submitted a proposals? How does it work? Who wrote it? Was it a collaborative process?

…

Is there a specific process or methodology they use on a regular basis that helps them control the quality of their facilitation / sensemaking / deliberation?

Are you happy with the quality of the discussions / outputs / artifacts created?

How do you normally identify the tensions in your org? Is anyone responsible for this?

Do you ever have arguments / conflicts? How do you resolve them?

Do you ever hire human facilitators?

…

What solutions do they hire to facilitate communication and consensus? How satisfied are they with these tools? How do they learn about them? Who makes the decision to hire a particular tool?

What tools are you currently using for decision-making?

When did you start using them? Did something trigger you to switch?

How did you compare solutions? What was important for you?

What solutions did you choose from?

What happens after using this solution? How do you implement the decisions? Do you copy something to Notion or create new tasks in project management software?

How do they turn outputs generated while using these tools into action items / features in backlog? How painful is this process?

Sense-making

when was the last time you tried to sensemake in your community?

what pushed / triggered you to do that?

what did you struggle with the most?

did you discuss it with anyone?

how did you choose the tool?

what would you do differently next time?

do you ever have arguments / conflicts? how do you resolve them?

Writing proposals

when was the last time you wrote a proposal?

what pushed / triggered you to do that?

what did you struggle with the most?

did you discuss it with anyone?

how did you choose the tool?

what would you do differently next time?

how did you align with fellow co-authors?

Engaging members

How do you engage members with the most relevant context / knowledge? Who are those people?

Are you happy with your current level of engagement?

Do you feel that apathy / conflict avoidance / politics prevent you from having healthy discussions?

when was the last time you tried to engage members in deliberation?

how did you do that exactly?

what did you struggle with the most?

did you discuss it with anyone?

how did you choose the tool?

what would you do differently next time?

did you notice any tension / fears / politics in the discussion?