CNN shows us an interrogator’s “5 (nice) ways to get people to talk.” The interrogator in question (Eric Maddox) helped crack the mystery of Saddam Hussein’s whereabouts, and he writes about it in his book, “Mission: Black List #1.”
Thom Patterson identifies the five tips (excerpt):
Identify fears and use them as leverage [create a solution to eliminate those fears]
Understand the other side’s perspective [listening with empathy, finding common ground]
Always give the other side hope [a clear way out of the problem you’re trying to resolve]
Never make friends with the other side [you will lose your perspective]
Practice the art of deception [staging very subtle, deceptive behavior aimed at creating a desired result (like faking embarrassment or surprise)]