The Jobs To Be Done Playbook. Jim Kalbach
Jobs exist independent of your solution or offering. They are discovered through qualitative research, discussed in the next chapter.
Process
How does the job get done? JTBD sees an “objective” as a procedure or a process. Job performers move through different stages of the goal as they strive to accomplish it. Understanding the process of the job performer’s intent is key to JTBD.
You can illustrate the main job in a chronological map with a sequence of stages. Consider each stage as a smaller job within the main job rather than tasks or physical activities. Because the job has to be “done,” be sure to formulate the job in a way that has an end state. It’s then helpful to think of the job as having a beginning, middle, and end stage as well.
Once you have the main sequence, specify smaller steps. Note that steps are not tasks, but the smallest discrete subjob in the process. The guidelines for job formulation in Table 2.1 apply to job steps, too.
It’s also possible to locate emotional and social aspects in a map of the main job. In the end, the map serves as a centerpiece in the JTBD framework that allows you to organize your description of the job. Later, you can use the job to organize needs as well. It becomes a central structure for compiling insight and focusing team conversations.
Using the main job, attend a conference as an example, the basic sequence could be visualized as shown in Figure 2.5.
FIGURE 2.5 Visualize the process of getting a main job done.
It’s critical to recognize that a job map is not a customer journey map. The aim is not to document how people come to your solution, decide to purchase, and stay loyal. That’s not their job to be done; it’s what your company wants them to do. Instead, a job map is a view into the behaviors and needs of individuals in the context of their daily lives. That may or may not include your solution.
A job map not only lets you see the bigger picture for strategic opportunities, but it also gives you a way to examine specific points that give rise to specific innovative ideas to fulfill a customer’s job. In some cases, the map provides enough insight on its own to get started finding the right solutions. For instance, a startup looking to experiment with solutions can use the job map to align its features and functions to the job.
The process of creating a job map is described in detail in Chapter 3, “Discovering Value.”
Needs
Why do the job performers act the way they do while getting the job done?
Working with needs is challenging, in general. The term itself has many connotations and defies precise definition. In some cases, such as in software development, a “need” is interpreted as a system requirement. For instance, user stories in Agile methodologies describe what users need to have in place in order to interact with a system.
In other cases, such as with voice of the customer research, a “need” is a benefit a customer gets from a given product or solution, e.g., customers need to have quick and easy access to support. And in yet other situations, such as with Design Thinking techniques, a need is seen as a fundamental human motivation, e.g., people need personal fulfillment. Without a common understanding and clear definition of what a need is, conversations within teams and organizations can go astray quickly. It’s no wonder there isn’t agreement on what a need is exactly.
JTBD helps in two ways. First, in JTBD a “need” is seen in relation to getting the main job done. Needs aren’t demands from a solution, but an individual’s requirements for getting a job done. For instance, if a main job is defined as file taxes, needs in getting that job done may be minimize the time it takes to gather documents or maximize the likelihood of a getting a return.
From this standpoint, needs aren’t aspirations either, which are above the main job in terms of abstraction. Expressions like “have financial peace of mind” or “provide for my family” are motivations beyond getting the main job. These are important aspects to consider later, but not needs related to reaching the objective of filing taxes.
Second, JTBD provides a consistent pattern for expressing needs, as described earlier in the chapter: verb + objective + clarifier. This normalization allows for consistent ways of pinpointing opportunity. Semantics matter. Without a clear, concise formulation of what a need is, interpretation is up in the air.
Think of the job as the overall object or aim and needs as the success criteria along the way. As with job statements, formulating a need statement in a standard way is critical. Lance Bettencourt and Anthony Ulwick have developed a consistent way to notate needs in what they call desired outcome statements. There are four elements:
Direction of change + unit of measure + object + clarifier
• Direction of change: How does the job performer want to improve conditions? Each need statement starts with a verb showing the desired change of improvement. Words like “minimize,” “decrease,” or “lower” show a reduction of unit of measure, while words like “maximize,” “increase,” and “raise” show an upward change.
• Unit of measure: What is the metric for success? The next element in the statement shows the unit of measure the individual wants to increase or decrease. Time, effort, skill, and likelihood are a few typical examples. Note that the measure may be subjective and relative, but it should be as concrete as possible.
• Object of the need: What is the need about? Indicate the object of control that will be affected by doing a job.
• Clarifier: What else is necessary to understand the need? Include contextual clues to clarify and provide descriptions of the circumstance in which the job takes places.
Consider the following examples of need statements in Table 2.3 for the job attend a conference.
TABLE 2.3 EXAMPLE NEED STATEMENT FORMULATIONS
| DIRECTION | MEASURE | OBJECT | CLARIFIER |
| Increase | the likelihood | of getting permission | from a boss to attend |
| Maximize | the ability | to remember relevant content | from conference presentations |
| Minimize | the time it takes | to summarize conference insights | for sharing with colleagues |
| Maximize | the likelihood | of networking with thought leaders | in the field |
A strength of the JTBD approach is that it separates goals from