Ted with Patrick O'Shaughnessy – Lessons from the World’s Elite Money Managers (Capital Allocators, EP.184)

Interview Skills

Ted Seides shares his insights on effective interview techniques, emphasizing the importance of active listening and preparation. He outlines a structured approach to listening, which involves noting distractions, mirroring, validating, and empathizing with the interviewee 1. This method, he explains, is powerful across various contexts, from relationship therapy to investment meetings.

The process of listening is a process. I won't go through it now, but there's a four-part structure of noting your own distractions, mirroring what someone says to make sure they're heard, being able to validate it, that what they said makes sense, and then at times empathizing.

--- Ted Seides

Additionally, Ted highlights the "five whys" technique from the Toyota production system, which involves asking "why" multiple times to uncover deeper insights 2. He also advises against asking compound questions, as they often lead to incomplete answers 3.

   

Guest Dynamics

The dynamics between podcast hosts and guests play a crucial role in the success of an interview. Ted Seides discusses the importance of pre-interview interactions to set the stage for a productive conversation 4. He emphasizes the value of a feedback loop with guests, which can enhance their public speaking skills and improve future interviews.

Sometimes when you turn off the mic, the conversation just goes on and on and on. And you get these great insights and you wish you hadn't turned off the mic, but it goes all over the map.

--- Ted Seides

Ted also reflects on his evolution as a listener, noting that he had to learn to restrain his natural inclination to talk and instead focus on listening to his guests 5. This shift has allowed him to engage more deeply with a diverse range of guests, from CIOs to thought leaders in various fields 6.