Category: Blog

This is a part of the User-Driven Programming Series. One of the most important lessons I've learned, not just as a person but also in developing a user-driven programming model, is to fail a lot. Trying, experimenting, and testing results in a ton of failures. These failures are extremely valuable. In fact, failing fast is central in creating good programming on the long-term. Loving to fail can lead to lean and low-cost programming. There is a simpler version of every idea that we can come up with or that the users can come up with. In fact, we tend to overcomplicate most things in our lives. By testing out new ideas in a low-cost or lean way, we can spend our energies on the right things. We want to validate the ideas…

This is a part of the User-Driven Programming Series. Organizations are often stuck in short-term thinking, rushing to put out every fire as it appears, instead of using strategy. Everything, including user-driven programming, should have a strategy and a vision. It can be easy to just say, "we make programs" instead of asking ourselves, why? What is the why? The purpose of user-driven programming, for all of us, is to engage our leaders, members, congregants, or constituents. As a result, we need to go deeper and ask yourselves, why are we going through this effort? By answering this question, we can better develop strong systems, meaningful approaches in engaging our people, and create a long term strategy around it. If your "why" is to create an engaged community, then your programs will…

This is a part of the User-Driven Programming Series. A user-driven model is built on the hard work of leaders and is the role of everyone to empower leadership and embrace it. On every level, from staff person to president of the organization, we all benefit from engaged and empowered leaders. Constantly engaging and teaching new people to lead creates sustainable growth. Leadership is learned. This important truth is the backbone of creating not only user-driven programming but also a healthy institution. No one is born to lead. Rather a leader learns the skills along the way. Centering the idea that one can learn to lead constantly encourages new people to take on new roles. It is intimidating to most people to take on a leadership role, no matter how…

This is a part of the User-Driven Programming Series. Building an effective system to produce user-driven programming means that we're creating a platform not a product. Let's define terms here for a moment. We're going to use the word product to refer to a particular program, series, or project. It is the end result that will face the audience. This might be a speaker series, a study group, a concert, or a running club, for example. By platform, we're talking about the toolset to implement a wide variety of projects. The system to create, implement, and evaluate programming consistently. In a user-driven programming model, the institution is the platform to create the programs, while the members, congregants, or users create the products. Imagine your organization as Etsy, rather than the artist, you…

This is a part of the User-Driven Programming Series. Targeted programming is central to the idea of user-driven programming. Without a sense of focus, it is truly impossible to be effective. If we extend ourselves too broadly, our energies get dissipated and it is hard to make any headway. Instead, we target. This is why expressed needs are so important. Foundational to this idea is Jobs to be Done by Clayton Christensen. This article explains the basic ideas, but in short:  Focus on expressed needs rather than what people say they want. This is probably not much of a surprise for us in professional Jewish life. Innumerable people will come to you and say, “I have this great idea that YOU should do” or “I really want the synagogue to…