Former Department of Defense military interrogator Lena Sisco was stationed in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba after 9/11. Her job was to ‘break’ prisoners, but not in the way you might expect.
“When you say the word ‘interrogation’ everyone assumes you’re up to no good,” Sisco said. “That is not what interrogation is. Interrogation is a fine art. It’s the art and science of human interaction. It’s how I build a rapport with you.”
Lena’s approach is to persuade interview subjects to like and trust her so they want to be open and honest. “If I can connect with you on some human-to-human level, at some point we’re going to have trust,” she explained. “People aren’t going to want to give you the truth unless they truly trust you.”
Lena initially wanted to be an archeologist and spent two years digging in Europe before signing up for the US military. She was trained as an interrogator in 1999 but did not interrogate anyone until 2002 in the months after 9/11. Walking into Guantanamo Bay prison for the first time in 2002 was a frightening experience for the author ofHonest Answers.
She was about to go head-to-head with some of the most dangerous prisoners on Earth: “The very first day I came to Gitmo and got the ‘tour’ of the interrogation camp and the prison, I was scared that day. I was like, ‘What the heck did I get myself into? How did I get here?' I was supposed to be Indiana Jones and I’m now in Gitmo in a prison."
“My first interrogation was scary but it was just my fear of the unknown,” she added. During the first two interrogations, Lena wasn’t getting the information she needed, and it was intimidating because lives were at stake. By her third interrogation, however, Lena nailed it. She walked out with 20 pages of notes by using many of her own techniques - all rapport based and non-accusatory.
Lena focused on creating what she called a 'safe, comfortable environment' to encourage cooperation before asking the tough questions. Of course, some of the prisoners were still lying to her, but once she’d built a rapport, it was easier to call out the lies and address ‘the elephant in the room’.
Sisco tries to find something in common with interview subjects, creating trust
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Former Department of Defense military interrogator Lena Sisco was stationed in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba after 9/11. Her job was to ‘break’ prisoners, but not in the way you might expect.
“When you say the word ‘interrogation’ everyone assumes you’re up to no good,” Sisco said. “That is not what interrogation is. Interrogation is a fine art. It’s the art and science of human interaction. It’s how I build a rapport with you.”
Lena’s approach is to persuade interview subjects to like and trust her so they want to be open and honest. “If I can connect with you on some human-to-human level, at some point we’re going to have trust,” she explained. “People aren’t going to want to give you the truth unless they truly trust you.”
Lena initially wanted to be an archeologist and spent two years digging in Europe before signing up for the US military. She was trained as an interrogator in 1999 but did not interrogate anyone until 2002 in the months after 9/11. Walking into Guantanamo Bay prison for the first time in 2002 was a frightening experience for the author ofHonest Answers.
She was about to go head-to-head with some of the most dangerous prisoners on Earth: “The very first day I came to Gitmo and got the ‘tour’ of the interrogation camp and the prison, I was scared that day. I was like, ‘What the heck did I get myself into? How did I get here?' I was supposed to be Indiana Jones and I’m now in Gitmo in a prison."
“My first interrogation was scary but it was just my fear of the unknown,” she added. During the first two interrogations, Lena wasn’t getting the information she needed, and it was intimidating because lives were at stake. By her third interrogation, however, Lena nailed it. She walked out with 20 pages of notes by using many of her own techniques - all rapport based and non-accusatory.
Lena focused on creating what she called a 'safe, comfortable environment' to encourage cooperation before asking the tough questions. Of course, some of the prisoners were still lying to her, but once she’d built a rapport, it was easier to call out the lies and address ‘the elephant in the room’.
Sisco tries to find something in common with interview subjects, creating trust
Respect your interview subject to get honest answers
Lena’s technique can be applied whether you’re talking to an al-Qaeda cell, your golf partners, or your boss.
Being kind is a way to build rapport. Sisco used to shake hands with the suspected terrorists. Just because you are being polite doesn’t mean you are weak.
She believes that humans want to be honest and help others - even the worst interview subjects. “So what I do in all of my work is try to get to the core of that and really strip away anything else - I call it the fluff of aggression, of anger, of the rhetoric they want to say - and get to the heart of that human to tap into that inherent want to be honest and helpful.”
Having empathy is another way to build a rapport which in turn leads to trust and honesty. When you empathize with a person, you let them know you want to understand their situation. You may have had a similar experience, or you are simply interested in knowing what they are thinking and feeling. It builds a connection.
Before a difficult conversation, consider the end goal
Lena knows how to compartmentalize information - a skill learned while she was sometimes being told that America deserved 9/11 or that her interview subject would hunt down her family and kill them. The key to compartmentalizing is to learn how to control the thoughts that create your emotions. It’s entirely within your power: “No other person on this planet can cause your emotions. Only you,” Sisco said.
Before a difficult conversation, ask yourself: what’s the end goal in the negotiation or interview? Prioritize that rather than getting sidetracked reacting to threats or other noise that doesn’t achieve the goal. “It’s thought work. It’s about how to stop thinking about the train of thoughts that gets you angry,” Lena said.
Don’t argue. Don’t judge. “Judging others is not going to get that trust because nobody wants to be judged. Nobody wants to be labeled.” Just listen. And if the conversation isn’t going in the direction you want it to, pause and redirect it so the conversation is heading your way. Pivot to get onto a topic where you can gain the information or advantage you want from the conversation.
How to call out the elephant in the room
Lena Sisco also believes people should consider that not everything is personal. An arrogant or overbearing opponent may feel under-appreciated or simply be having a bad day. “Don’t get into a dialogue that can lead to an argument.”
Have the confidence to bring up a topic without getting emotional and always ensure the conversation is respectful. If you want to know if someone is lying, don’t call them a liar. Ease into it.
Develop the rapport by finding a shared interest or trait. That brings a connection that leads to trust. “It doesn’t mean you have to be best friends, but at least you are treating them as human. If you are treating them with respect, you can call out the elephant in the room.”
You may be surprised. If the person trusts you, they may admit they weren’t entirely honest. But what happens if the conversation isn’t productive or going your way? Tell the other person you aren’t comfortable discussing it any more.
“Be done when you’re done,” Lena said. ”Just say: ‘I appreciate the conversation you are having with me but it’s time to go.’”
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Lena Sisco has trained Navy Special Forces, the Joint Forces Command, and Nasa. She can be booked to appear at your next event at SPYEX.com.
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