The document discusses the importance of empathy in content strategy, highlighting that true understanding requires actively listening and engaging with others' feelings and experiences. It emphasizes that change is a gradual process and outlines strategies for effective collaboration, including curiosity, clarity in communication, and identifying strengths. The author stresses the inevitability of failure and encourages a culture that embraces learning from mistakes.

1. EMPATHY:
Content Strategy’s
Hidden Deliverable
#empathy

2. HI.
I’M COREY VILHAUER
@mrvilhauer

3. BLEND
INTERACTIVE
@blendtweets
SIOUX FALLS,
SOUTH DAKOTA

4. SIOUX FALLS,
SOUTH DAKOTA

6. KNOWING INFO ≠
COMMUNICATING INFO

7. AHA!

10. LISTEN

11. LISTEN
UNDERSTAND

12. LISTEN
UNDERSTAND
SOLVE

13. UNDERSTAND
SOLVE

14. SOLVE

15. EMPATHY

16. EMPATHY
The action of understanding, being
aware of, being sensitive to, and
vicariously experiencing the feelings,
thoughts, and experience of another of
either the past or present without
having the feelings, thoughts, and
experience fully communicated in an
objectively explicit manner.

17. EMPATHY
“...empathy can be described
as feeling the feelings of
another with the greatest
accuracy and effort.”
- Whitney Hess

18. BUT...

19. THE
CLIENT

20. THE
TEAM

21. THE
CO-WORKER

22. THE
BOSS

23. THE
EDITOR

24. CONTENT STRATEGY

25. CONTENT STRATEGY

26. CONTENT STRATEGY
PEOPLE

27. THE PSYCHOLOGY OF
ORGANIZATIONAL
CHANGE:

28. THE PSYCHOLOGY OF
ORGANIZATIONAL
CHANGE:
CONTENT STRATEGY
EDITION

29. CHANGE
IS HARD

30. “Change isn’t an event;
it’s a process.”
- Dan Heath / Chip Heath

32. “Content strategy is really
about choreographing
multiple talents, roles and
personalities...”
- Ahava Leibtag

34. LACK OF OVERSIGHT

35. LACK OF OVERSIGHT
TALENT MISMATCH

36. LACK OF OVERSIGHT
TALENT MISMATCH
POLITICAL INFIGHTING

37. WRITING
IS EGO

38. WORDS ARE
PERSONAL

39. FAILURE IS
CERTAIN,

40. FAILURE IS
CERTAIN,
UNAVOIDABLE

41. FAILURE IS
CERTAIN,
UNAVOIDABLE
AND
NECESSARY

42. “You need to create the
expectation of failure - not the
failure of the mission itself,
but failure en route.”
- Dan Heath / Chip Heath

44. “No matter how good a cook
you are, and no matter how
hard you try, the first pancake
of the batch always sucks.”
- Merlin Mann

47. HOW DO WE DO IT?

48. 1.
BE CURIOUS

49. ASK QUESTIONS

52. What makes you crazy?

53. What makes you crazy?
What kind of help do
you wish you had?

54. What makes you crazy?
What kind of help do
you wish you had?
What is your workflow?

55. What makes you crazy?
What kind of help do
you wish you had?
What is your workflow?
Who owns this project?

56. What makes you crazy?
What kind of help do
you wish you had?
What is your workflow?
Who owns this project?
Why do you continue
doing this?

58. “There’s a chance that
things’ll get weird.
- Archers of Loaf

59. 2.
BE CLEAR

61. JARGON
WEASEL WORDS
SUCKING

62. JARGON
WEASEL WORDS
SUCKING

63. JARGON
WEASEL WORDS
SUCKING

64. JARGON
WEASEL WORDS
SUCKING

65. “When the client feels like
they have some input during
the project planning phase,
they are more likely to enjoy
the ride.”
- Melissa Rach

66. 3.
BE DELIBERATE

67. 3.
BE DELIBERATE
(does not need)

68. 4.
BE CONNIVING

69. IDENTIFY
STRENGTHS
AND PLAY
TO THEM

70. 5.
BE A TEACHER

71. PROVIDE TOOLS

72. PROVIDE TOOLS
WITHIN REASON

73. PEOPLE WORK
DIFFERENTLY

74. YOU CAN’T WIN
EVERY BATTLE.

75. HOW MUCH CHANGE
CAN WE HANDLE?

76. HOPE FOR THE BEST

77. THANK YOU.

78. I am still
COREY VILHAUER
blendinteractive.com
eatingelephant.com
blackmarks.net

79. RESOURCES
eatingelephant.com/2012/10/
empathytalk