Interview Packet

for

Non-Profit ABC

A Time for Valuing:

Sharing Stories, Discovering Dreams and Celebrating Community

Interview Guide – March 26, 1999

Contents:

Purpose of the Interviews --Page 2

Overview of Interview Process --Page 3

Tips for Conducting Interviews --Page 4

Interview Script --Page 5

Summary Page –Page 8

Due: Tuesday, April 13, 1999

Questions? Please call the hotline at 1-800-XXX-6079

Purpose of Interviews

Thank you very much for participating in this process of gathering information from colleagues across the organization. These interviews are part of an intensive effort to connect all parts of the Non-Profit ABC by drafting a core set of values to help join us in a shared future.

The Non-Profit ABC has a great opportunity to improve the level of trust between individuals and units within the organization, greatly increase its productivity, and sharpen its image with the American people. This can be accomplished by developing and institutionalizing a corporate set of values. Works by notable researchers and practitioners have demonstrated the increased levels of trust, knowledge sharing and productivity among organizations that have a strong core set of values.

As part of this process we’re looking at the following: What are the core factors that give life to this organization? What can we learn from our experiences, especially if we examine closely those moments when we have been at our best? What are our delivery system’s most effective practices, strengths, or best qualities-- things that we should try to preserve even as we change? What important lessons can we draw from our history? Building on all this, what kind of organization do we want to be in the future? Can our positive past, the best in our experiences, help us become more daring as we think about our true potential as an organization? What is your dream for the Non-Profit ABC? What ideas do you have for helping us move into the twenty-first century?

How the interviews will be used:

  • All interviews will be analyzed for thematic content, merged with data from the Non-Profit ABC values survey, and used to draft a Non-Profit ABC statement of values.
  • The draft values statement will be presented at the Non-Profit ABC National Convention.
  • Following convention will be a series of tools to help align values within the organization and increase the level of skills required to bring these values into action. These tools will impact areas such as recruitment orientation, development, retention, trust, productivity and more.

All comments from the interviews will be anonymous -- names will not be attached to any of the stories, suggestions, examples, or comments made.

Overview of Interview Process

Due: Tuesday, April 13, 1999

Part I - Complete 10 interviews

  • Choose 10 people from your work area and/or professional discipline. Consider people that you might not interact with on a regular basis.
  • Ask these 10 people if they are willing to be interviewed, and confirm that they have not already been interviewed.
  • Send each of the 10 people the one-page “Purpose of Interview” information sheet prior to the interview.
  • Complete interviews with these 10 people by April 13, 1999.
  • Each interview should take 45-60 minutes to complete. If somebody only has 30 minutes available for the interview, feel free to be flexible with the questions. Choose the questions that you think will be most appropriate for that person.
  • Assure interviewees that all comments are anonymous, but not confidential. In other words, stories and quotes will be shared, but no names will be attached to them.
  • If you’re having difficulty finding someone to interview, please call the hotline, and we will help you link up with someone.

Part II - Return the interview materials

  • Please use the space after each question for taking notes during the interviews. Note-taking can be tricky since everyone does it differently, but we want to be able to read your notes.
  • Immediately after your interview time, summarize the results, using the attached summary page of this guidebook: write down the best quote that came out of the interview; write down a descriptive summary of the most compelling story that came out of the interview; write down the 1-3 themes from the designated topic areas that stood out most from the interview.
  • Be sure to write your name, the date of the interview, and the region and discipline of the interviewee on the summary page.
  • Return this entire guide to Bob, no later than April 13, 1999.
  • Sending summary sheets:

Send all Interview Summary Sheets (ISS) in the following order of preference. Please make sure that your name is on all sheets for tracking.

  1. Email them to the address below as an attachment in Microsoft Word.
  2. Overnight the ISS’s as Microsoft Word files on a diskette accompanied by a hardcopy of the sheets.
  3. Fax the ISS’s to Bob, Corporate Education and Training at 7XX-XXX-8558.

Overview of Interview Process (continued)

Due: Tuesday, April 13, 1999

Part II - Return the interview materials (continued)

Bob

Non-Profit ABC

81 Gate Road

Major City, USA

XXX-208-8541

Please do not wait until April 13th to send all of the ISS’s. You can send them as you do them, however, we would prefer them in groups of three to minimize administration.

Reminder: Include the final matrix with the last set of ISS’s.

Part III – Non-Profit ABC National Convention
  • All interviews will be analyzed for thematic content, merged with data from the Non-Profit ABC values survey, and used to draft a Non-Profit ABC statement of values.
  • The draft values statement will be presented at the Non-Profit ABC National Convention.
  • Following convention will be a series of tools to help align values within the organization and increase the level of skills required to bring these values into action. These tools will impact areas such as recruitment orientation, development, retention, trust, productivity and more.

Questions? Please call the hotline: 1-800-XXX-6079
Tips for Conducting Interviews

  • Use the interview form as your script.
  • Don’t bias the responses, please introduce the interview and ask the questions as they are written.
  • If people want to think about their answers, please give them the option of thinking about it and rescheduling with you.
  • Here are some possible questions to use to probe further:
  • Tell me more.
  • Why do you feel that way?
  • Why was that important to you?
  • How did that affect you?
  • What was your contribution?
  • What was the organization doing that helped you do this? For example: information systems, leadership, resources, structures.
  • What do you think was really making it work?
  • How has it changed you?
  • Let the interviewee tell his/her story, please don’t tell yours or give your opinion about their experiences.
  • Take good notes and be listening for great quotes and stories.
  • Be genuinely curious about their experiences, thoughts, and feelings.
  • Some people will take longer to think about their answers -- allow for silence.
  • If somebody doesn’t want to, or can’t answer any of the interview questions, that’s OK, let it go.

Interview Script

Due: Tuesday, April 13, 1999

Sample Opening

Thank you for meeting with me.

I’m (name), and I work at (place).

As we move into the future, we want to be able to identify and build on our strengths. These interviews are part of an intensive effort to connect all parts of the Non-Profit ABC by drafting a Non-Profit ABC statement of values. Because we are searching for values that may be important for all of us we are deliberately searching for examples when we are working at our best. By looking at stories from across the organization we will see if there are some unifying values that we should hold up as ideals. The draft values statement will be presented at the Non-Profit ABC National Convention on May 21-23, 1999.

I. Introduction

  1. To start I’d like to learn about your beginnings at Non-Profit ABC. When did you come to the organization and what attracted you to Non-Profit ABC? What is it you do now?
  1. In your work at the Non-Profit ABC, you have probably experienced ups and downs, twists and turns, some high points and some low points. For a moment I would like you to think about on a time that stands out to you as a high point-- a time that stands out where you felt most alive, effective, or really proud of your involvement in the organization. It might have been recent, or some time ago.

a)Please tell me the story about this time?

b)What made it a high point experience?

  1. Let’s talk about some things you value most -- specifically about yourself and Non-Profit ABC as an organization.

a)What do you value most about yourself— as a human being? What are the most important qualities or strengths you bring to Non-Profit ABC?

b)What is it about the nature of the work you do here that you value the most? What is most interesting or meaningful?

II. Stories That Demonstrate Potentials

People from outside Non-Profit ABC have commented that we are fairly hard on ourselves, and obviously we are not the perfect organization we would like to be. But there are stories that make us proud-- and show us what we can be-- when we are at our best.

Learning from these stories is important. Indeed good news is not an escape from reality; it can be the best way to improve it. A famous proverb says: “stories have wings and they fly from mountain-top to mountain-top”.

4. Let’s think about the impact of our work to society. Can you share with me one story of a time when you felt Non-Profit ABC was really successful in serving people or a community—an example of a Non-Profit ABC contribution (large or small) that makes you proud? Please share with me the whole story…

5. Sometimes we can learn about the values that are important by sharing the stories of people we look up to—stories of courage, commitment, achievement, cooperation, good work, being a pioneer, etc. As you think of those people you know at Non-Profit ABC that exemplify the best of what we should be, name one person who in your view stands out. Can you share with me a story of that individual, one that demonstrates why you selected this person? What are the values you see in this person or story?

6. Now lets explore times when you have experienced Non-Profit ABC at its best internally— for example, in terms of operations, volunteer-staff partnerships, teamwork, valuing people, managing change effectively, or anything else you can think of. Can you share one story that stands out when your Non-Profit ABC or a team you were part of was working at its best internally…at a higher level than other times? What happened? Why was it working better? What, in your view, are the implications or lessons?

III. Things about Non-Profit ABC That You Like and Think We Should Keep

As an organization we will obviously make many changes in the future to improve and evolve with the times. However there are also some core strengths, values, and ways of working that we should continue and keep doing—even as we change in the future.

7. External Focus: Lets first talk about what you see as the strengths or best practices at your Non-Profit ABC—the external best practices—in the ways your Non-Profit ABC serves communities, people or the world. What are 3 things-- the ways of working, best practices, or qualities-- that you want to see Non-Profit ABC keep?

8. Internal Focus: Now lets think about what you see as the internal best practices—inside the organization—in the way your Non-Profit ABC manages operations, people, work, or the organization? What are the 3 things we do best inside the organization and you would like to see Non-Profit ABC keep doing—even as things change in the future?

IV. Lets Put Ourselves into the Year 2009: Your Vision of a Better Non-Profit ABC

Let’s assume that tonight, after work, you fall asleep and do not wake up for ten years. But while asleep a miracle happened and your Non-Profit ABC, as an organization, became the kind of organization you would most like to see. Many positive changes have happened. You feel great.

9. As you wake up now in 2009 go to your Non-Profit ABC, what do you see happening inside and outside the organization that is new, positive and different-- and how do you know? Please share what you see, and hear, and feel….

10. Now to sum up more specifically… if you had a magic wand and could transform the Non-Profit ABC organization in any way you wanted to make it more effective and vital, what 3 wishes, visions, or changes would you most like to see?

This is the end of the interview, thank you very much for your time.

Interview Summary Page

Due: Tuesday, April 13, 1999

Name of interviewer (your name): ______

Date of interview:______

Interviewee’s discipline:______

What was the most quotable quote that came out of this interview?

What was the most compelling story that came out of this interview? (use the back of this page if necessary)

What were the 1-3 themes that stood out the most for you during:

The Interview:

1)

2)

3)

About Continuity/Things to Keep

1)

2)

3)

About Visions For the Future

1)

2)

3)

Please return this entire document to Bob, no later than Tuesday, April 13, 1999.