Cooper Point Appreciative Inquiry Project
Scheduling the Interview
Confirm a time and place that is convenient for everyone. Choose a
location where both you and your narrator (the person you are interviewing)
will be comfortable, such as a home or a quiet coffee shop. The interviews
typically take one hour. The goal is to discover what fellow residents of
Cooper Point appreciate and value about their community. Ultimately, the
information, stories, and energy that is generated by this process will
belong to the community.
How to Conduct the Interview
The interview process should be fun. A cup of tea or coffee and a small
snack can relax both of you and make the interview go more smoothly. Explain
that the purpose of the interview is to discover what your narrator values
most about living on Cooper Point. Also explain that the Cooper Point
Association requests their permission to post their story on the Cooper
Point website. Emphasize that they may choose whether or not their story
will be posted online and that they will be able to review their story for
accuracy before it is shared with anyone. Since the narrators choose the
topics, they generally agree to share their reflections.
Find out how your narrator would prefer to receive the story you write
from the interview. Email is probably easiest in most cases, but be
flexible. (This decision could wait until the end of the interview, use your
judgment.)
Asking the Questions
- Can you tell me a story about a time when you felt most alive and
happy to live on Cooper Point?
- When you think about your community, what makes you smile?
- Considering all aspects of life one Cooper Point, what do you cherish
most and want to preserve or build on for the future?
- Describe a time when you felt most empowered to use your personal
strengths and talents on behalf of your community?
The questions are not necessarily intended to generate four different
answers. The idea is to get your narrator thinking and talking about the
positive aspects s/he remembers about her/his experiences on Cooper Point.
Don’t feel obligated to ask all of the questions since the narrator may
inadvertently answer more than one question at the same time. Occasionally
it is helpful to encourage your narrator by restating something they’ve
said, for instance, “You said you really enjoyed visiting your neighbors
during the summer. What parts of that were particularly fun?” If your
narrator remembers something negative, gently steer her/him back to the
positive. As an example, you could say, “So, you’ve been really frustrated
with the increased traffic, and you liked it better when people were more
comfortable walking on the street. Tell me more about the walks you used to
take.” If your narrator can’t find anything good to say in response to one
particular question, move on to the next one.
Taking Notes
Have plenty of paper and a spare pen or pencil in case yours breaks or
runs out of ink. Your narrators may also want paper and pens of their own.
Write down as much as you can; focus on key words or phrases that will help
prompt your memory. Notice when your narrator is particularly animated or
excited about a topic and make note of what the topic is. Unless you are a
very fast writer, don’t try to take verbatim notes. Do try to get a few
direct quotes that seem particularly significant or well said. Don’t be
afraid to ask clarifying questions or to repeat a summary of a story in
order to verify the main points. You will want to review your notes
immediately after the interview in order to add/clarify information while it
is still fresh in your mind.
At the End of the Interview
~If not already asked, find out how they would like to receive a copy of
your completed notes.
~Ask them if they know of anyone else who might be willing to be
interviewed.
~Also ask if they would be interested in conducting interviews themselves.
~Thank them for their time!
After the Interview
It is EXTREMELY important to review your notes IMMEDIATELY after the
interview. Give yourself at least 1/2 to 1 hour to try and recall as much as
possible, using your notes as a guide.
We suggest that you provide your narrator with a date as to when you will
send their story to them for their approval. Writing someone else’s story is
challenging, so avoid the temptation to procrastinate; use whatever method
is most effective in encouraging you to finish their story.
Once the narrators approve their story and you received permission for
it to be posted on the web, forward it to the Cooper Point Assn at
Be sure to indicate whether the person’s name should be posted with the
story or if they wish to remain anonymous.
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