Your forum may have the solution. But are you addressing the whole job?

[JoelR]

Imagine the following scenario: your child breaks her arm (ouch!), and a whole chain of events is set in motion.  The parents need to immediately cancel their existing plans. The child must see a doctor. The doctor can do some important tests and prescriptions to remedy her. But there's a lot that the doctor cannot do.  The only person who sees the whole job to be done - from beginning to end - is the parent.

As community managers, we face similar challenges with our users.  Our communities are set up to handle specific touchpoints with our members or customers, but we may not always see—or be able to influence—the entire journey they’re on.  

Here’s where the idea of “job to be done” (JTBD) comes into play. Businesses naturally focus on what they’re set up to do, but that often leaves gaps in the overall experience. In an online community, for example, our platform might be great at facilitating discussions, but what happens when our members need support or resources beyond what we can directly offer?

The key takeaway for me is that while we may not be able to control every aspect of our members’ journey, we can adopt different lenses to better understand and support their full experience. Here are four lenses we can use to see the whole job more clearly:

1. The Taxonomy – Different Types of Jobs Have Different Delivery Experiences

Not all jobs are the same. Some require specific experiences or touchpoints that we need to deliver effectively. Are we aware of all the different types of jobs our community members are trying to get done? And are we meeting those experiential needs effectively?

2. The Customer’s System – Your Solution Fits Within a User's Context

Our community or platform is just one part of a larger system that our members use. Are we considering how our solutions fit into their broader lives? How do our tools, resources, and support integrate with the other solutions they’re already using?

3. Intelligent Amplifier – The More Intelligent the Solution, the More Jobs the User Wants the Solution to Do

As we make our solutions more sophisticated, our members may expect them to handle more of their needs. Are we keeping up with these expectations? How can we expand our offerings to cover more of the jobs our members want to get done?

4. Channel Defects – If They Can’t Finish the Job, Why Do You Need the Channel?

If our members can’t complete the job they need to do, they may question the value of our platform or community. Are there gaps or defects in the channels we’re using that prevent our members from fully achieving their goals? How can we address these issues to ensure they can complete their journey?

So, how do you see the “whole job” your community members are trying to get done? Have you encountered any challenges where your business model or platform limited your ability to fully support their needs? And what strategies have you used to overcome those limitations?

Reference: https://theexperiencestrategist.substack.com/p/what-clayton-christensen-and-i-talked