Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Jobs To Be Done - Theory
Jobs To Be Done - Theory
widely used throughout business to spark ideas for innovation. Upon first
glance, it may seem straightforward. However, when many professionals
attempt to bring the theory into practice, they struggle to unlock its true
potential.
Here’s a primer on the jobs to be done framework, along with some tips to
help you understand and leverage this skill in your career.
“If we understand the job the customer is trying to do and develop a product
that nails the job perfectly, then the probability that your innovation will be
successful is improved in dramatic ways,” Christensen says.
You can’t find jobs to be done without observing people. Thorough market
research, including observation and customer interviews, is essential for
identifying and validating jobs to be done. Only by observing customer
behaviors can you truly get to the bottom of their functional, social, and
emotional “jobs” that your product or services can fulfill.
Chris Larson, a former participant of Disruptive Strategy, reflects on the
personal observations that helped him understand the jobs to be done theory.
“I finally had my ‘ah-ha’ moment when I was riding with my mother in the car
and watching her simultaneously put on makeup, drive, and talk on the
phone,” Larson says. “The thought popped into my head, ‘How could I make
this easier and safer?’ Then I made the important connection, ‘What was the
job to be done here?’”
Getting caught up in the development of the end product can cause you to
miss the bigger picture: What job are you hiring for? The product will come
once the right job is found. That’s the truly difficult part.
3. It’s a Process
Understanding and applying the JTBD theory is a process. First, you need to
understand the theory. Working with case studies and analyzing examples of
JTBD in action is a great way of building that foundation. But to apply the
theory to everyday life and fuel new, innovative ideas, you need a strategic
mindset.