Interviewing: Conversations that Solve

In airline operations, problems happen every day — delays, maintenance issues, communication breakdowns, and more. Solving these issues requires more than just looking at numbers and charts. Behind every data point, there’s a story, a set of circumstances, and perspectives only the people involved truly understand.

Talking directly with the people who experience the problem day-to-day brings valuable information to light. These conversations can be designed to uncover what really happened and why. Whether it’s a mechanic, dispatcher, or a manager, interviews add the human context behind the facts.

More Than Just Questions

Numbers don’t always tell the full story. They can show you that an issue happened or how often a system or process failed. But they don’t explain the “why.” That’s why after gathering quantitative data, the next step is often to talk with those involved — the frontline workers, supervisors, and experts — to dig deeper and gather qualitative data.

Interviews allow you to explore things like:

• What were the conditions leading up to the problem?

• Were there unexpected obstacles or challenges?

• What decisions or actions might have contributed?

• Are there hidden issues not captured in the data?

By listening carefully, you gain the qualitative insights that help connect the dots, moving from symptoms to root causes.

Tips for Conducting Effective Interviews

To get the most out of your interviews, a little preparation and care go a long way:

1. Plan Ahead: Review all available information about the problem. Understand the context and what you want to learn before you start.

2. Interview Individually First: For complex or sensitive issues, talk to people separately. This helps avoid bias that can skew judgment and lets everyone share openly without influence.

3. Create a Comfortable Space: Choose a quiet, neutral spot where the conversation can flow naturally. Make it clear you’re there to understand, not to judge or assign blame.

4. Listen More Than Talk: Let interviewees explain the situation fully. Ask specific questions gently to clarify details, but avoid interrupting their story.

5. Give Feedback: Repeat back key points to ensure you’ve understood correctly. This also shows you value their input.

6. Encourage Collaboration: Involve them in thinking about solutions. People are more committed to change when they help create it.

Interviews at the Gemba, Where Work Happens

In Lean thinking, Gemba means “the real place” — the spot where the actual work happens. For airlines, this could be the hangar floor, the operations room, or the ramp. The idea is simple: to understand a problem fully, you need to see it firsthand, where the work is done, not just behind a desk or through reports.

A Gemba Walk is when leaders and problem solvers go to this real place to observe processes, talk with people, and gather insights. Interviews are a key part of any Gemba walk. When you talk directly with the people working on the frontlines, you gain insights that data alone can’t provide. These conversations reveal nuances, challenges, and root causes that might otherwise go unnoticed.

By conducting interviews at the Gemba, you’re connecting observations with people’s experiences — a powerful combination for finding lasting solutions.

Bringing It All Together

Interviews complement the numbers by revealing the human side of problems. They help uncover root causes that data alone can’t expose and validate or challenge assumptions. When combined with Gemba Walks, other Problem-Solving tools like the 5 Whys Analysis and Cause and Effect Diagrams, and the right mindset—critical, collaborative, and innovative thinking—they become a powerful formula for designing effective solutions.

If you want to sharpen your problem-solving skills and learn how to use interviews effectively, consider our dedicated Problem Solving and Root Cause Analysis course. And to master the art of going to the source, don’t miss our Gemba course — designed to help you see problems where they happen and lead improvements that stick.