Before getting down to business, conduct a little prep work with those involved.  Meet with each person individually at a mutually agreeable time.  Make sure they understand the reason for the meeting and how long you expect the meeting to take. 

 1.  Create a professional environment.  Conduct the meeting in a private, quiet area.  Hallway noise, telephones and people wandering in and out of the room are distracting.  Privacy is a must.  The person you are interviewing may become emotional.  Make tissues and water available. 

 2.  Clarify your role.  Explain that your goal is to gather the facts of the event, not to judge or place blame.

 3.  Share the process.  Staff want to know what to expect.  Explain what will happen.  Include the expected timeframe and who to call if they have questions.

 4.  Reassure those involved. Remind them that we have a culture that is focused on process improvement.  We believe that employees come to work with intentions to do their best work.  If individual accountability is an issue, the proper processes will be followed.

 5.  Clarify questions.

 How do you prepare to investigate a serious event?