Debra was interviewing an employee that has been with the company for a number of years. She could tell he was a little nervous, but she wasn’t sure how to make him feel more at ease. After speaking with him for a while, she asks him what his favorite task that he’d had so far. She noticed how excited he became and began to describe a time when he and his collogues worked together and solved a challenging manufacturing problem.

She encouraged him to share his stories, noticing how comfortable he was feeling now. She asked him to pull out the positive characteristics of his other tasks and did he see a pattern emerge. Debra noticed he had similar qualities in all of his work and that he had a good skill set from them. Before he left, she thanked him for sharing his experiences and was glad to see him finally smiling.