Figure 2.4 illustrates the relationship of the different types of jobs, with the main job framing the primary scope of inquiry. It may be necessary to look at related jobs when devising a solution, or to consider broader jobs or narrower jobs. The main job sets your focus and everything else is seen in relation to it.
FIGURE 2.4 The main job sets the focus of inquiry and innovation with other aspects in relation to it.
RELATED JOBS
Related jobs are adjacent to the main job, but are significantly different. For instance, if you define grow retirement portfolio as a main job, related jobs may be finance a new home or balance cash flow. Identifying related jobs as such can help your team understand the main job—what it is and what it is not.
Also recognize that people have multiple goals that collide and intersect. The world is not as neat and compact as your JTBD model will suggest. As you define the main job, identify related jobs to understand the overall landscape of objectives. Only then should you decide on a single main job to focus on, keeping related jobs in your peripheral line of sight.
Keep in mind that related goals may even compete with the main job and each other. For instance, buying a large-ticket item like a car or house may detract from growing a retirement portfolio. As a result, progress in our lives is the sum of the outcomes of related jobs, and balance is often required.
EMOTIONAL AND SOCIAL JOBS
Emotional jobs reflect how people want to feel while performing the job. Statements usually start with the word “feel.” For example, if the main job of a keyless lock system is to secure entryways to home, emotional jobs might be to feel safe at home or feel confident that intruders won’t break in while away.
Social jobs indicate how a job performer is perceived by others while carrying out the job. For instance, adult diapers have an important social job of avoiding embarrassment in public. Or, in the previous example, the person with a keyless door lock might be seen as an innovator in the neighborhood.
Separating functional jobs from emotional and social jobs helps focus on the individual’s objective, on one side, and experiential aspects of getting the job done, on the other. The rule of thumb is to solve for the functional job first. It’s hard to solve for an emotional or social job if the functional job isn’t fulfilled.
I saw this firsthand on a project I once led in the area of online women’s fashion. Most of the discussion revolved around emotional and social jobs of fashion, e.g., feel confident in public or look good to others.
But we found that the key unmet need when purchasing clothes was whether the item fit—a functional job. Even in a domain where emotions dominate, our focus turned to solving the functional job first, not the emotional or social job.
The point is that JTBD provides a sequence for innovation: meet the needs of the functional job first and then layer emotional and social aspects after that. Targeting emotional and social jobs first often yields an endless number of solution possibilities. There are many ways to help customers feel confident in public, for instance. Starting with a functional job grounds innovation in concrete options that are feasible, but emotional and social jobs are not overlooked.
FORMULATING JOB STATEMENTS
The value of JTBD lies in its consistent way of describing people’s goals and needs. Keep in mind that a job is not what your organization needs to do to deliver a service: it’s what the job performer wants to get done. Your team’s tasks are not your customers’ goals. Always think in terms of the individual’s perspective.
To be consistent in describing goals, follow this simple pattern for writing job statements.
verb + object + clarifier
Examples include: visit family on special occasions, remove snow from pathways, listen to music on a run, and plan long-term financial well-being. Keep in mind that needs are handled separately, so typically adjectives are omitted that qualify how well jobs get done.
Formulating job statements takes practice. To provide a common language for your organization, getting the words and syntax right is important. One trick is to think of a silent “I want to...” in front of each statement that then gets omitted later. Also don’t include other phrases like “help me...” at the front of the job statement. Instead, begin directly with a verb.
For clarity, it’s also possible to include examples after a job statement. Use the abbreviation “e.g.” to add some specific instances that are representative of the types of jobs you’re describing. For instance, you could qualify a job visit family on special occasions with e.g., a birthday, graduation, marriage, or holiday.
Table 2.1 outlines the guidelines for formulating job statements.
TABLE 2.1 RULES FOR FORMULATING JOB STATEMENTS
| DOS | DON’TS |
| Reflect the individual’s perspective | Never refer to technology or solutions |
| Start with a verb | Steer clear of methods or techniques |
| Ensure stability over time | Don’t reflect observations or preferences |
| Clarify with context, if needed | Avoid compound concepts (no ANDs or ORs) |
Table 2.2 shows some examples of incorrect job statements and the issue with their formulation. A better expression is provided in the column on the right following the above guidelines.
TABLE 2.2 EXAMPLES OF FORMULATING JOB STATEMENTS
| INCORRECT | ISSUE | CORRECT |
| Search by keyword for documents in the database | Includes specific methods (keyword search) and technology (documents in database) | Retrieve content |
| People prefer to attend meet-ups and conferences that are nearby | Reflects an observation and preference Includes compound concepts | Attend an event |
| Find the cheapest airfares quickly | Includes needs, which should be considered separately (i.e., cheap and quick) | Find airfares |
| Help me plan a vacation that the whole family will enjoy |
“Enjoy” is a need and should
|