Harvard Business School
What do you do when decades of knowledge need to be translated into a format that can train future generations in a matter of minutes?
Create a video library overflowing with information, nuance, and a few laughs, of course!
75+ videos
250+ minutes of content
The Mission
When Harvard Business School’s C. Roland Christensen Center for Teaching and Learning (The Center) sought to strengthen its resource library for faculty teaching the case method, it enlisted the video production and storytelling expertise of Thought Leader Media to create nearly 100 videos to help professors rise to their fullest potential.
With a heightened focus on faculty early in their tenure, the videos would provide a comprehensive overview of teaching approaches to the case method and immerse professors in the nuances of today’s increasingly complex academic environment.
About
Case Method Teaching
The case method is a highly interactive, participant-centered learning model based in real-world business situations featuring the constraints and incomplete information managers face in their careers.
Professors serve a demanding, multi-faceted role as ‘planner, host, moderator, devil's advocate, fellow-student, and judge,’ all in search of solutions to real-world problems.
Our Approach
Twenty world-renowned faculty were interviewed on a soundstage over the course of four days.
Thought Leader Media (TLM) created a relaxed environment where faculty could let their guard down and allow personalities to shine while discussing a wide range of topics embodying The Center’s strategic priorities.
Faculty discussed in detail common challenges case method instructors face inside and outside the classroom, as well as shared countless valuable insights to guide professors at all stages of their teaching careers.
Once filming wrapped, TLM partnered closely with The Center to parse through 36 hours worth of transcripts, identifying key takeaways passionately expressed.
Then, TLM assembled dozens of powerful narratives that not only told stories in multiple scenarios, but also conveyed faculty’s wisdom and dedication to their craft.
As it was The Center’s first time creating video content, TLM also provided detailed training on the video production process, set clear expectations for each phase, and ensured the entire team was confident in their abilities.
Specifically, TLM partnered closely with The Center to:
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Identify a definition of success for all video products in order to develop a robust list of interview questions, some of which The Center would ask, others TLM would take the lead on.
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Discuss multiple visual concepts and determine the right approach for The Center’s unique needs, while adhering to the budget.
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Create a comprehensive tracking system so all stakeholders had the latest and greatest video iterations at their fingertips.
Our Impact
In addition to delivering a brand-new, professionally produced library of content, TLM empowered The Center to pursue future projects with a solid understanding of video processes and narrative storytelling techniques.
In other words, instead of ‘giving a person a fish,’ TLM ‘taught a person to fish.’
TLM ultimately produced, edited, and delivered 78 videos – including 39 short clips and 39 longer montage-style videos – totaling 258 minutes of powerful narratives documenting the extensive knowledge and variety of approaches to the case method at Harvard Business School.
The original vision was to add to The Center’s resource library for asynchronous, self-guided learning, as well as one-on-one consultations with teaching coaches, internal seminars, and workshops.
Due to the caliber of content, faculty administration are extending the vision further, generating an online course for HBS faculty and beyond.
In addition, The Center will include the videos in its weekly faculty-facing newsletters to respond to real-time challenges throughout the academic year.
Inspirational instructional videos for case method professors, by case method professors.
This is how TLM helped Harvard Business School prepare the next generation of business leaders.
