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Case Studies

THE GOAL
Two tpt-blue chairs sat out on the faux grass lawn at the TPT State Fair booth in 2019. The chairs were called “Listening Chairs,” and the concept is simple: a tpt staffer sits on one chair, a fairgoer sits in another- and conversation ensues. It’s simple, yes. But there more than meets the eye…

 

“Empathy is seeing with the eyes of another,
listening with the ears of another
and feeling with the heart of another.”
– Alfred Adler

 

In the weeks leading up to the fair, a dozen tpt staff members across departments signed up to participate as listeners. Together, we brainstormed ways to start conversations, deeply engage and listen and capture key takeaways that could be used to shape the myriad of programming at tpt… and ultimately make greater impact!

The Listeners set out with these things in mind:
How might we…
• Ask better questions and hone listening skills
• Better-understand our audiences and their needs
• Gather insight about new content in development
• Personalize what we do and show people who we are

LISTENING IN ACTION

David Gillette sat down in a chair and picked brains about how media can be improved- Take a look at this special Listening Chairs edition of the Wrap!

INSIGHTS

  1. Knowing our audience & having empathy is the key to designing content that makes greater impact.
  2. People love sharing their ideas especially with the folks who create the content that they see on tpt.
  3. Honing listening skills makes us better at what we do
  4. It’s important to report back that we’re listening! Show that they were heard and that we do take these comments to heart.

IMPACT POWER TOOLS

Cheat sheets for starting (and ending) conversations (.pdf)

Creative questions for Listening (.pdf)

Read all feedback

THE GOAL

Let’s have a happy little tree in here. No pressure. Just relax and watch it happen. This present moment is perfect simply due to the fact you’re experiencing it. A beautiful little sunset.

Maybe there’s a happy little bush that lives right there. It’s a good way of getting rid of all your anxieties and hostilities. We need dark in order to show light.

All you need to paint is a few tools, a little instruction, and a vision in your mind. We’ll throw some old gray clouds in here just sneaking around and having fun. Now we’ll take the almighty fan brush. The very fact that you’re aware of suffering is enough reason to be overjoyed that you’re alive and can experience it. I guess that would be considered a UFO. A big cotton ball in the sky. We start with a vision in our heart, and we put it on canvas.

LISTENING IN ACTION

David Gillette sat down in a chair and picked brains about how media can be improved- Take a look at this special Listening Chairs edition of the Wrap!

INSIGHTS

  1. Knowing our audience & having empathy is the key to designing content that makes greater impact.
  2. People love sharing their ideas especially with the folks who create the content that they see on tpt.
  3. Honing listening skills makes us better at what we do
  4. It’s important to report back that we’re listening! Show that they were heard and that we do take these comments to heart.

IMPACT POWER TOOLS

Cheat sheets for starting (and ending) conversations (.pdf)

Creative questions for Listening (.pdf)

Read all feedback

THE GOAL

Let’s have a happy little tree in here. No pressure. Just relax and watch it happen. This present moment is perfect simply due to the fact you’re experiencing it. A beautiful little sunset.

Maybe there’s a happy little bush that lives right there. It’s a good way of getting rid of all your anxieties and hostilities. We need dark in order to show light.

All you need to paint is a few tools, a little instruction, and a vision in your mind. We’ll throw some old gray clouds in here just sneaking around and having fun. Now we’ll take the almighty fan brush. The very fact that you’re aware of suffering is enough reason to be overjoyed that you’re alive and can experience it. I guess that would be considered a UFO. A big cotton ball in the sky. We start with a vision in our heart, and we put it on canvas.

LISTENING IN ACTION

David Gillette sat down in a chair and picked brains about how media can be improved- Take a look at this special Listening Chairs edition of the Wrap!

INSIGHTS

  1. Knowing our audience & having empathy is the key to designing content that makes greater impact.
  2. People love sharing their ideas especially with the folks who create the content that they see on tpt.
  3. Honing listening skills makes us better at what we do
  4. It’s important to report back that we’re listening! Show that they were heard and that we do take these comments to heart.

IMPACT POWER TOOLS

Cheat sheets for starting (and ending) conversations (.pdf)

Creative questions for Listening (.pdf)

Read all feedback

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