If You Want a Good Conversation, Lose the Notes

Michele Price

Opportunities are more exciting when they are unexpected. That's how I felt when I hung up my phone last Friday. 

Michele Price called after a Wiley publicist had sent her a copy of Change With Confidence. She said that she was interested in interviewing me on her Breakthrough Business Strategies Radio show. 

Michele had an opening on Monday but the time conflicted with a client meeting. She suggested taping the interview on Sunday, which was a great option. We agreed on a 2:00 pm start time and she said it would go until 3:00 pm.

An hour. I had never been interviewed for such a long time. All my previous interviews were less than fifteen minutes. I wasn't sure how to prepare for it.

I wanted this interview to be different. I wanted it to be a conversation versus a question, answer, question, answer exchange like I had given before. Michele was warm and fun on the phone so I knew she would be a great conversationalist. But what about me?

My past approach to preparation was to write question and answer sheets and spread them around me in case those questions were asked. It worked from a content perspective but my focus was on giving the right answer versus answering the question. My answers lacked context of the discussion. Since they were independent from the discussion, they didn't lead to dynamic dialogue. 

This interview would be different. I would speak from my head instead of from my notes. The only way to do that was to not use notes.

Michele was wonderful and we had a great interview about the challenges of change and ways to manage them. The time flew by too. Before I knew it, our interview was over. We kept talking after the recording stopped and even then I wanted to chat longer. I am looking forward to staying in touch.

Notes are great for preparation but have no role in live activities - speaking engagements, training sessions or radio interviews, if you want to have a good conversation.

Phil