Agreeing on Ground Rules Beforehand
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Settling basic expectations before an interview begins, how long it will run, what topics are in bounds, whether any material will be off the record, removes a layer of uncertainty that would otherwise sit quietly underneath the entire conversation, distracting both parties from the substance.
Ground rules agreed in advance also protect against later disputes about what was understood. A subject who believed a topic was excluded, only to find it raised anyway, has a legitimate grievance that a clear prior agreement would have prevented entirely. A subject who later feels an agreement was broken carries a grievance that could easily have been avoided.
The conversation about ground rules need not be lengthy or formal. A few clear sentences at the outset, confirmed by both parties, usually suffices to establish the shared understanding that the rest of the sitting can then be built upon. Both parties then proceed on the same shared footing, which tends to make everything that follows considerably smoother.