Know Your Customers' "Jobs to Be Done"

For as long as people can remember, innovation has been a top priority -- and a top frustration -- for leaders. In a recent McKinsey poll, 84% of global executives reported that innovation was extremely important to their growth strategies, but a staggering 94% were dissatisfied with their organizat...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Harvard business review 2016-09, Vol.94 (9), p.54
Main Authors: Christensen, Clayton M, Hall, Taddy, Dillon, Karen, Duncan, David S
Format: Magazinearticle
Language:English
Subjects:
Business growth
Customer relations
Innovations
Strategic management
Success factors
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Summary:For as long as people can remember, innovation has been a top priority -- and a top frustration -- for leaders. In a recent McKinsey poll, 84% of global executives reported that innovation was extremely important to their growth strategies, but a staggering 94% were dissatisfied with their organizations' innovation performance. Successful innovations help consumers to solve problems -- to make the progress they need to, while addressing any anxieties or inertia that might be holding them back. But organizations need to be clear: "Job to be done" is not an all-purpose catchphrase. Jobs are complex and multifaceted; they require precise definition. Many organizations have unwittingly designed innovation processes that produce inconsistent and disappointing outcomes. But firms don't have to continue down that path. Innovation can be far more predictable -- and far more profitable -- if you start by identifying jobs that customers are struggling to get done. Without that lens, you're doomed to hit-or-miss innovation. With it, you can leave relying on luck to your competitors.
ISSN:0017-8012