I’ve done a lot of interviews about people over the years, but you can always get better.

A fascinating conversation last week with an angel investor about what he looks for in a candidate to run a new company gave me a question I will always ask from now on, but not just about people

When does green not mean go? As toddlers we drive with our parents and learn that green means go, yellow means caution and red means stop. But then later on, in driving and in life, we learn that green means “go, as long as…”

Private Investigator Ethics.jpgIn New York, green means go but you still need to

“Three may keep a secret,” wrote Benjamin Franklin, “if two of them are dead.” While attorney-client privilege confers a lot of power on lawyers and their agents to keep a secret, the privilege is never absolute. It can be waived by the client anytime, and can be breached in all sorts of ways.
Continue Reading Confidentiality in Interviews: What You Can Promise and What You Can’t

Good investigators are not necessarily smarter than the people they help. What often makes a good investigation is one in which “known” facts are independently evaluated once again. Just as we sometimes want a second opinion on a complex medical or legal matter, gathering and weighing the credibility of facts can also benefit from a fresh pair of eyes.
Continue Reading Good Investigations: A Second Opinion on Most Everything

GettyImages_200130809-001.jpgWe have written extensively about the importance of good interview skills, in our blog entries “What Greg Smith and  Goldman Sachs Tell Us About Investigations” and “Hiring Due Diligence Should Include an Attitude Check.”  Professionals whose work depends on their ability to interview well—investigators, journalists, lawyers, doctors—know that it’s an art, honed

GettyImages_107250901.jpgIf you’ve ever had to hire people, you know what a tough job that is. You know that you are making a decision that will have a profound impact on a number of people—not only on yourself and whoever you choose, but also on everyone in your company or organization that will have to collaborate