Case* Method: Business Interviewing [Hardcover]

Hickman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 31, 1994 | ISBN-10: 0201593726 | ISBN-13: 978-0201593723 | Edition: 2

This text emphasizes the key role of user feedback and involvement in formulating a business model and evolving a system architecture. The text also provides readers with a variety of approaches to system development. It gives practical advice on the conduct of interviews at a variety of stages, along with effective presentation techniques. This highly practical book covers the basic techniques of interviewing clients and describes and illustrates different approaches to the various stages of their system development cycle.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

In our consultancy role, we find that interviews play a major part in the information gathering for any project. We have learned that the activity is a valuable opportunity for discovering many layers of information. Where we once looked on it as a data collection activity, now we consider it one that can provide real knowledge and understanding of the individuals we are interviewing.

We enjoy interviewing and have become more and more fascinated with the whole process of communication. We find ourselves interviewing in varied industries, countries and cultures. In such situations, we are looking at how we can best create an environment for a free interchange of ideas and be able to interpret accurately the information we gather. The last part is the most difficult. Semantics and differing sets of assumptions blur our view of what we have heard. Throughout any interview, we are trying to put aside our own preconceptions and listen with an open mind. It is not easy. The task is made easier, however, by having a set of techniques in hand for interviewing.

The mechanics of an interview are just that, mechanisms for smoothing a process. Once the interview process can be carried out with less effort, we can devote our time and attention to the real issues that are being discussed. That is why we are focusing in this book on the techniques for interviewing-on how to interview-with the goal of helping you have more time to concentrate on the real part of the interview-on what is actually being said.

Over the years we have come to value the practical techniques we have discovered which enable us to get below the surface in an interview to really understand the perspective of the interviewee. We believe that Information Technology practitioners in particular have an opportunity to improve their knowledge and understanding of what the needs of their business are and thus to dramatically improve the role they play in their business. Good interviewing techniques become an important asset.

The understanding we gain from an interview brings with it another challenge. We must often take information from one interview and combine it with results from several other interviews in order to build a picture or models, about our understanding. At this point, clarifying meaning becomes especially critical. It is the dilemma of converging various points of view that brings us closest to the real issue in an interview-understanding what is being said. We have been developing techniques to help us with that task and want to share them with others.

A book develops slowly. Several years ago Linda wrote some practical guidelines for interviewing. We used feedback from practitioners to expand the guidelines, which in turn formed the starting point for this book. We hope that this book will help to answer more questions and lead to rewarding and successful interviews.

To all - new and experienced alike - good luck.

AcknowledgmentsThe book evolved slowly and with the invaluable assistance of many people. We would like to thank a few personally, and hope that all the other special people who have influenced our ideas and development of the book will know who they are, too. In particular, Jeanette Longman spent many long hours patiently setting up material and resetting it; Barbara Barker has the genius to take all the parts and put them together in a readable, attractive book; as the originator of CASE Method, has a special role which cannot be measured.

Others also contributed along the way. Sue Ladbrook daily helps keep Linda's schedule manageable in countless ways, and among associates who read carefully and encouraged more interview materials were RenEe Taylor and Jeremy Davis. Countless colleagues in projects in may countries over the years have contributed to our understanding of interviewing.

Finally, a big thank you to our understanding families who have enthusiastically supported the idea of the book.

Linda Hickman and Cliff Longman
November 1994

0201593726P04062001

From the Back Cover

This text emphasizes the key role of user feedback andinvolvement in formulating a business model andevolving a system architecture. The text also providesreaders with a variety of approaches to systemdevelopment. It gives practical advice on the conductof interviews at a variety of stages, along witheffective presentation techniques. This highlypractical book covers the basic techniques ofinterviewing clients and describes and illustratesdifferent approaches to the various stages of theirsystem development cycle.

0201593726B04062001

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 220 pages
• Publisher: Addison-Wesley Professional; 2 edition (December 31, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0201593726
• ISBN-13: 978-0201593723
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 7.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,723,843 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Improve communication with your clients!, February 24, 2001

By 

Linda Zarate "IT Ops Consultant" (Azusa, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Case* Method: Business Interviewing (Hardcover)

As an IT consultant I spend a lot of time keeping abreast of technical information, refining my understanding of techniques and acquiring new skills. Like my colleagues I tend to focus on the technical side, forgetting that "soft skills" are just as important.

This book is about those "soft skills" and it has greatly influenced how I approach one of the most important activities in which consultants engage - interviewing and elicitation. Prior to reading this book I viewed this activity as an art and, to be honest, as a necessary evil. As a group IT consultants have traditionally failed at effectively communicating with business users. There has been much written about aligning IT to business, but little has been said about how to go about it. This book changes that - at least from a requirements gathering and communications point of view.

To begin, it takes a methodical approach to the interview process by defining deliverables. We consultants seem to do this for every activity *except* interviewing. It then gives an example situation, and covers the basics of interviewing.

As you go through this book you will find sound advice on note taking, managing interview material, and advanced techniques.

Among the advanced techniques are how to read non-verbal communications (body language), how to match conversation styles with your subjects, and how to manage the interview. This is excellent material that should be read by any consultant who has customer contact.

I especially liked the chapter on facilitating workshops and groups, managing feedback sessions and eliciting knowledge (as opposed to eliciting information). I also found the checklists provided throughout the book to be excellent aids and have copied them for my own use.

This book should be required reading for all consultants and IT professionals regardless of their level of experience. It gives us a set of tools to use to align IT and business, starting with the most basic of activities: effectively communicating.