Critical Incident Management

Here are some best practices in the formulation of questions for the questionnaire:

• Ask intelligent questions of knowledgeable people. The team should elicit quality results from a pool of knowledgeable people. Do not waste their time. If the question is superfluous or specious, remove it.

• Include a catch-all section in the questionnaire. If you have asked the wrong person, ask to be directed to the correct one. No one is perfect.

• Provide information so the interviewees know their response is important and valuable. Explain to the recipient the assessment process, how their information contributes to the project of risk management, and how this process affects the overall business. Accomplish this step with a cover e-mail or as a preamble to the personal interview.

The information collection process is not a test. Consequently, there is no right or wrong answer. When conducting interviews, remember this process is not adversarial; sometimes a thick skin is desirable if the person being interviewed has something on their mind. When someone is responding, ask that responses reflect their personal knowledge first and then address any speculation. A bit of reflective listening may go a long way in successfully completing this process.