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 do X” or “Why didn’t you offer X.” It is pretty exhausting. Especially after all of that noise, they don’t even show up to the thing!
Whew. In any case, that is why we focus on those expressed needs.
Who IS showing up to your event? Do you know why?
In fact, folks might not be expressing their need in a way that you are noticing. It doesn’t always show up in the form of an email. During kiddush, after services, in a pre- and post-pandemic world, who is talking to whom? Who is sitting by themselves? Who is rushing out? Each of these is a signal of expressed needs.
At a higher vantage point, we can understand targeted programming as a way of creating filters. Not everyone needs the same experience, as you’ll read in future posts. Focusing on a specific need will allow you to make specific impact.
Let me offer an example:
We had a group of folks who wanted to study the weekly Torah portion. They expressed that need by animatedly discussing the parashah at kiddush. One individual expressed a desire for that need to be met by emailing me. I encouraged them to build a team of three folks who would be interested. What we discovered was that these individuals were never going to be able to attend daytime programming during the week. Not only that, but many of these individuals were parents of young children and were not likely to come into the building for any program.
What did we do?
We created a program that met their expressed needs.
Their need, simply, was a program at a time and in a format that was conducive to their schedules. We decided on Sunday nights for a time to meet virtually. Note, this program was initiated a year before the pandemic, virtual programming was still uncommon. That checked off both major boxes: nighttime programming and not in the building.
We used their expressed needs, experienced at kiddush and by email, and developed a targeted experience for that group.
So, as a concept, targeted programming is about focusing on a group with specific, expressed needs. What we did not do was develop this program based on what might have served “everyone” and was solely based on broad ideas of wants.
Target those needs and you will be able to show progress.
Have a question on how to implement this? Want me to help you set it up? I’m available for consulting and I’d be happy to work something out for you and/or your organization! Reach out!