GOOT saves the day

I learned a great tip in J-school one day when my adviser was telling me old war stories in his office.

Bill Tillinghast shared with me a formula on how to interview someone when you’re flying blind. Use the GOOT formula if you find yourself stuck or unprepared. You can also incorporate it into interviews that you are prepared for. GOOT stands for:

Goals

Obstacles

Overcome

Timetable

Back in the day, Tillinghast found himself sitting on the front row at a press conference covering the event for a newspaper. Apparently, a delegation from Japan had traveled to the United States for some high-level business networking. Many reporters were present, including other print publications, radio, and a row of TV news photographers in the back. 

When the event seemed to stall before it even started, he realized everyone was looking to him to take the lead. That’s when he wished he hadn’t sat front-row center because he had no clue what the event was about. It may have been that half the reporters there were just as unaware. Still, everyone needed a few quotes so they could get on with it and leave. So he used GOOT:

“What are your goals for this trip?” Tillinghast asked the man at the podium. The man spoke about the partnerships they hoped to make.

“What obstacles might you face?” he asked. The man from Japan talked about logistics of travel and potential cultural barriers.

“How are you going to overcome those obstacles?” Tillinghast asked, feeling pretty good about his progress. The man said his delegation would try to make as many meetings as possible and that the content of their proposals would create interest among business communities in the U.S.

“What’s your timetable?” Tillinghast asked, his work being finished. The man on the platform talked about the itinerary for the rest of the trip.

Done.

At a basic level, GOOT is enough to give reporters a sense of what the subject is out to do, what’s at stake, and their schedule for doing it.

You can use GOOT on almost anyone – a new president, director, or even a new college graduate.

You can even use it on your kids the next time they ask to borrow money (the Timetable being “When are you gonna pay me back?”).