How To Invite Someone to a Guide Interview


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You're stepping into your first guided interview as a guide!

Before you get started, it's good to remember -- why are we doing guided interviews? This is a chance to practice engaging with someone's worldview. There is no right way to do or wrong way; it is not limited to the outline below but these are things we found helpful to create the best clarity and presence in dialogues.

We do recommend you recording the audio of these dialogues. This will not be shared with anyone but our internal team to review. The benefit of the review is together we get to debrief the dialogue and learn together. If anyone does not feel comfortable recording, it does not need to happen.

Here's an outline that will help you grasp the general flow of a conversation.

Invitation

"I am part of a cohort that is learning how to engage people's worldview through dialogue. (Option to add a personal statement about the impact it's made on your life if you want to share). Would you be interested in doing a guided interview with me / my friend (Guide Name)? It would be about two hours long and recorded so that I can review with my cohort and better learn how to guide someone.

The conversation is simple and takes no preperation on your part -- it would just be a process of someone understanding and conversing with you about how you see the world." 

Roles + Their Purpose

"Guide Interviewer": This is you! As the guide, you will be leading the interview.

"Interviewee": Someone who is open and willing to share about themself with another. They are likely already be curious about their own life, meaning, and purpose.

"Connector": We guide in community and often we'll connect our friends with a fellow guide. The connector is the primary relationship with the interviewee. This could be you, or a fellow guide inviting someone to connect with you in an interview. This person is the trust builder and an important role in helping someone understand what they are stepping into. They are sometimes also in the interview with you if that makes someone feel more at ease.

Process of a Dialogue

Pre-Dialogue
  1. Connector reaches out to see if there is interest
  2. Connector Introduces interviewee to the Guide
  3. They find a time and meeting place for the interview - generally somewhere public but still with some privacy where it's not too noisy but where they will feel comfortable with a stranger
  4. Communicate the logistics and details of the interview

Dialogue
  1. Connector ideally can be there to greet the guest and introduces to the Guide - either before the dialogue or at the dialogue
  2. Guide introduces themself and goes over the "rules" - which are essentially just ways to bring clarity and assuredness to the interviewee
    1. This is a Guided Interview -- we have time set aside for two hours to explore and dialogue through the operating system of which you view the world
    2. There are no wrong answers or right answers. This is all about me (the guide) understanding how you see the world
    3. There is a recording for the purposes of reviewing and training of other guides but recording is NOT necessary. The recording can also be given back to the interviewee for them to listen to again.
    4. Recording can be shut off at anytime if they are uncomfortable
    5. We've seen in the past that this is enjoyable for people to explore their wordlview -- we hope you enjoy it too
  3. Engage in their story - Listen, reflect, summarize, and witness someone's story (see Session 4 for more understanding of dialogue vs. debate)

    1. Dialogue Questions to Consider: 
      1. What's the good life? What's your aim in life? 
      2. What’s your plan to get there?
      3. Reflect back the essence of what you hear them saying
      4. Tell me more about _________, why does that matter to you?
      5. What about your story makes that important to you?
      6. How does that tie into your story? 
Post-Dialogue
  1. Guide can use the recording to review with the cohort (ONLY if interviewee has already approved of that) 
  2. Guide can also send recording to the interviewee if they desire to listen back
  3. Connector should follow up with interviewee as a friend - make sure they have the support, space, etc. to keep exploring their worldview and potentially process anything that came up in the interview.