JTBD for Executive Boards

Using Jobs-to-Be-Done (JTBD) framework can help align your executive board and customer needs. It shifts the focus from product features to customer outcomes, ensuring strategic decisions deliver real value.

Key Insights:

• What is JTBD? Understand why customers use your product, not just what it does.

• Why it matters: Many boards focus on sales data and features, missing broader customer needs and growth opportunities.

• How it helps: Align board discussions with customer priorities, improve metrics, and guide capital allocation.

Getting Started:

1. Train your team: Establish a shared understanding of JTBD.

2. Map customer jobs: Identify functional, emotional, and social needs.

3. Update reports: Use job completion rates and customer satisfaction metrics.

4. Measure outcomes: Focus on customer results, not just product usage.

This approach has led to higher innovation success rates and increased customer satisfaction.

Key Elements of JTBD Board Alignment

Three main elements help ensure that Jobs-to-Be-Done (JTBD) principles align with board strategies:

Identifying Key Customer Jobs

The starting point for effective board alignment is understanding customer jobs clearly. Instead of vague market opportunities, successful organizations zero in on specific, measurable customer needs.

Customer Results vs. Product Features

Shifting the focus from product features to customer outcomes is a game-changer for board discussions. Instead of presenting feature roadmaps, organizations that emphasize customer outcomes over technical specs see better results.

Measuring What Matters

The right metrics bridge the gap between boardroom goals and day-to-day operations by focusing on job completion success rather than just product usage.

Here’s a comparison of traditional metrics versus JTBD-aligned metrics:

Consistency is key. Aligning metrics with customer jobs allows boards to make better decisions about resource allocation and strategic priorities, all while staying focused on delivering value that truly matters to customers.

4 Steps to Implement JTBD

Step 1: JTBD Training

Start with education for executives and board members. These sessions help establish a shared understanding and ensure alignment at the top level.

Step 2: Job Mapping Sessions

Job mapping involves working across teams to pinpoint and prioritize customer needs.

Documented job maps become a key resource for making board-level decisions about capital allocation. Tools like thrv's innovation platform can further refine this process with advanced opportunity scoring and market segmentation analytics.

Once customer jobs are mapped, use these insights to inform board-level reporting.

Step 3: Board Report Updates

Incorporate JTBD metrics into board reports alongside financial data.

Key changes to reporting include:

• Job completion rates instead of traditional usage stats

• Analysis of underserved jobs rather than focusing on market share

• Job-based opportunity pipelines to guide future investments

These updates shift strategic discussions toward customer-focused priorities rather than feature budgets. Companies that adopt this approach have reported higher success rates in innovation.

This alignment not only bridges communication gaps but also addresses common challenges in implementing JTBD effectively.

Common JTBD Implementation Problems

Even with a structured approach, organizations often encounter two major challenges:

Problem 1: Unclear Customer Needs

Many companies struggle to clearly define customer needs in a way that resonates with both executives and board members. The solution? Use clear, standardized formats that are easy for everyone to understand and act on.

To improve clarity, focus on these strategies:

• Write in plain, jargon-free language that ties directly to business goals.

• Validate your statements through customer interviews.

• Shift the focus from product features to the customer's perspective.

Problem 2: Changing Report Methods

Incorporating JTBD metrics into existing board reports can also be tricky. One effective solution is to create a "bridge" section in reports. This connects financial performance metrics with customer jobs.

Here’s how to ease this transition:

• Develop custom KPIs that combine financial data with JTBD insights.

• Use data visualization tools like thrv to present JTBD metrics alongside traditional financial charts.

• Introduce JTBD metrics gradually through a phased approach.

Regular reviews and feedback loops help ensure reporting evolves as customer needs change .

Key Takeaways

By following the outlined steps and reviewing case studies, it's clear that applying JTBD (Jobs-to-Be-Done) can lead to measurable improvements. Organizations aligned with JTBD principles see higher success rates in innovation. Case studies also highlight an increase in customer satisfaction and a reduction in development costs.

How to Begin

To align your executive board with JTBD, focus on these practical phases: