Use Delphi interviews to guide product development

Editor’s note: Daila Boufford, formerly with Innovation Focus, a Lancaster, Pa., research firm, is senior project manager at Psyma International, a King of Prussia, Pa., research firm.

In today’s environment, product development professionals are expected to manage their current pipeline of products while also formulating a product plan for the next five to 10 years. How do product development professionals find the time, energy and will to seek out this new learning? Many tools have been developed that aid in looking at consistent information with new perspectives. One tool is the Delphi interview, which is a 60-minute conversation with a trend or industry expert.

The term Delphi has is roots in Greek history. The city of Delphi was a hub of activity, combining culture, religion and perspective into one highly populated area of information. Delphi was also home to the Oracle of Pythia, a woman believed to offer great insight into the future. The Oracle was a great influence to visitors, who believed this knowledge of the future would help them succeed in life.

What oracles exist today? Delphi interviewees may be high-level executives, laymen from the field or theologians. They are non-competing professionals whose areas of expertise have been identified as having an impact on the project objective. When choosing interviewees, look for individuals who have knowledge of peripheral areas that impact your product. For example, a manufacturer of healthy beverages might speak with a cafeteria worker who spends a great deal of time observing eating habits during lunchtime, a professional chef who enjoys creating fun flavor combinations, or a perfumer who could offer insight as to how smell affects consumers. When searching for interviewees, keep your mind open. Remember, you are looking for new perspectives to provide new information.

The following suggestions may help stretch your thinking in determining potential Delphi candidates:

  • People not like us.

Interview a person who is not a core target for your company. For instance, a warehouse worker who manages delivery systems may be a good choice for gaining new insights on materials management in a hospital. The correlation here is the focus on getting goods from point A to point B. The warehouse manager has many of the same needs as the materials manager but each goes about solving them in a different way.

  • A good mix of academia and “in-the-field” professionals.

Professionals from each of these categories have a great knowledge base. Those from academia are on the cutting edge of learning, surrounded by constant new knowledge. These folks are highly innovative, enjoy seeing technologies applied in new ways, and also have the advantage of looking at the world of product development from the outside. In-the-field professionals offer a sense of street smarts, being able to capitalize on their years in the industry, recognizing trends and learning how to move on them to stay ahead of the competition.

  • Enablers of business.

What affects your marketplace? How does the economy play a role? Do natural disasters affect your business? Good or bad? What about the growth and development of the Third World? List enablers and then start to identify persons or organizations that specialize in these areas. There are many non-profits who focus on disaster relief, Third-World issues and other areas that may impact business. Many professionals in these organizations have a strong passion behind their work efforts and have given a lot of thought to finding creative solutions.

Dive deeper

Delphi interviews can reap high rewards for all involved. At first glance, a Delphi can offer information on a field of business. When you dive deeper and debrief the interview, you will start to see how the interviewee’s field of business could cross into another field. When found, these crossovers offer a glimpse of the future and can be the jumping-off point for a multitude of ideas or new thought patterns. Frans Johansson talks about these intersections in his book The Medici Effect: “The key difference between a field and an intersection of fields is in how concepts within them are combined. If you operate within a field, you primarily are able to combine concepts within that particular field, generating ideas that evolve along a particular direction - what I call directional ideas. When you step into the intersection, you can combine concepts between multiple fields, generating ideas that leap in new directions - what I call intersectional ideas.” Johansson’s book focuses on finding these intersections and learning how to capitalize on the abundance of ideas they create. Delphi interviews are one of many tools that can cultivate these intersections.

Think big

Now that you know the type of people you are looking for, how do you find them? Get together with your colleagues and begin to brainstorm a potential list of interviewees. Books, articles and the Internet are great searching tools to track down professionals who are leading-edge thinkers about a particular topic. Take a chance and think big, but be flexible and open to other less-known suggestions. If you get turned down by a potential interviewee, don’t be afraid to ask for referrals and suggestions. If you are having trouble coming up with experts in a particular field here are some tips to help you in your search:

  • Alumni organizations are a great resource to track down professionals who have been doing research on a particular topic. Schools like to keep track of their success stories so you should have no trouble getting pointed in the right direction.
  • Magazine editors are generally not allowed to take part in an interview, due to industry regulations, but they are able to offer their advice on who they consider to be leading-edge thinkers in their field.
  • The World Future Society publishes a directory of its members who range in expertise from agriculture to multinational trade to quality of life. As the name indicates, these members are excellent thought leaders who thrive on identifying emerging trends.
  • Professional associations or organizations who promote knowledge gathering and sharing within a particular discipline offer up a multitude of members whose passion may be the perfect fit for what you are looking for.

At the onset, getting a list of as many potential interviewee names as possible is key. You will be able to whittle down that list in no time once you gain a better understanding of who is interested, who has time and what kind of incentive will be required. The amount of honoraria or incentive varies, and interviewees should be compensated for their time. The general rule of thumb is that an established, published expert on a certain topic is going to cost a lot more than one who is not published, so budget accordingly. As you make your final decisions on who to interview, keep in mind that the success of the interview rests not on the interviewee but the interviewer. It is their job to make connections, explore and guide the interview in the direction they wish to pursue. Start with a general approach and then drill down on specific areas of interest once the interviewee’s expertise has been identified.

Apply that knowledge

So, you have gone out into the world, interviewed thought leaders, professors, experienced professionals and directors in the areas that enable your business. You have a great stack of notes and can’t wait to get started...doing what exactly? This is a critical point in the project. Many times it’s tempting to get so excited about what was learned that you forget to apply that knowledge.

A key next step is to review the notes, meet with colleagues and discuss what was learned. In order to apply insights, ask yourself this: What are the different angles or perceptions on the knowledge gained and what does it mean to my current project/company? Once you have identified key needs, trends and emerging technologies, focus on deciding which problems are yours to solve. What do you have ownership of and why? Have a clear action plan and concrete next steps for your team to follow. Do you need to go deeper and find out more about the area you seek to tackle? Keep the ball rolling. Remember what Anthony D’Angelo said: “In your thirst for knowledge, be sure not to drown in all the information.”

The quest to uncover new learning should not end here. This is one of several tools used to find new ways of thinking. You have a great leaping-off point to provide the momentum to dive deeper into your research. As you progress, remember to keep an open mind and allow each new perspective to act as a prism, generating a rainbow of opportunities.