Overview of Creating a Job Map

Creating a job map is like constructing the frame/borders when putting together a puzzle: with the borders in place it becomes easier to see where all the pieces (customer success metrics) fit.

Scope

When creating process maps there is always a beginning, a middle, and an end. Unlike processes, we are not looking to exclude steps - eliminate waste - in the middle. What we’re actually trying to do is provide structure for the human mind to ensure that we capture and measure success at every point in the job. Only then can we determine if we’ve identified waste or opportunity.

The prompt included in this course uses a basic Nine (9) Phase approach to generate steps for the Job Map. This is the default. However, if you take a look at the work of expert practitioners you will see that they don’t always follow the rules. Sometimes its an arbitrary decision by the practitioner, but most of the time it’s because clients meddle.

In these cases, I’ve provided the ability to override the beginning and ending points of the map. Let me show you an real world example.

Examples

End User: Surgeon

Job: Removing an anatomical structure surgically

The Perfect Practitioner Version

This is the starting point of the perfect map - the Execute phase. It then moves to Locate, and then it moves to Define. I’m not going to quibble, but it does break all the rules

The Imperfect AI Version (High Fidelity)

1. Assess Surgical Necessity - The ability to consult with medical professionals and review patient medical history to determine the need for surgical removal of the anatomical structure.
2. Select Surgical Team - The ability to identify and assemble a qualified surgical team, including anesthetists and nurses.
3. Review Medical Imaging - The ability to locate and analyze X-rays, MRIs, or other medical imaging to understand the location and condition of the anatomical structure.
4. Prepare Surgical Instruments - The ability to identify, sterilize, and lay out the necessary surgical tools and instruments for the operation.
5. Confirm Patient Consent - The ability to verify that informed consent has been obtained from the patient or their legal guardian, ensuring ethical compliance.
6. Select Anesthesia - The ability to choose the appropriate type of anesthesia based on the patient's condition and the complexity of the surgery.
7. Make Incision - The ability to execute the first cut with precision to access the anatomical structure for removal.
8. Dissect Around Structure - The ability to carefully separate the anatomical structure from surrounding tissues, making it easier to remove.
9. Clamp Blood Vessels - The ability to identify and clamp blood vessels connected to the anatomical structure to minimize bleeding.
10. Remove Structure - The ability to excise the anatomical structure using appropriate surgical techniques.
11. Monitor Vital Signs - The ability to continually observe the patient's heart rate, blood pressure, and oxygen levels to detect any abnormalities.
12. Check for Complications - The ability to identify and manage any unexpected complications such as excessive bleeding or an adverse reaction to anesthesia.
13. Suture Wound - The ability to close the incision using sutures, staples, or other methods to encourage healing.
14. Administer Postoperative Medication - The ability to give the patient necessary medication such as antibiotics or pain relief to manage post-surgical symptoms.
15. Update Medical Records - The ability to document the surgery details, outcomes, and any complications in the patient's medical record for future reference.
16. Transfer to Recovery Room - The ability to safely move the patient to a recovery area where they can be closely monitored.
17. Review Postoperative Care with Team - The ability to discuss the patient’s recovery plan and any necessary follow-up actions with the surgical team.
18. Inform Patient's Family - The ability to communicate the results of the surgery and next steps for recovery to the patient's family or legal guardian.

The Re-scoped AI Version (High Fidelity)

I did not provide an Ending point because I don’t have the entire map from the study. However, I was able to determine that Establish Initial Access was fairly equivalent to Make Initial Incision. You be the judge. But this will give you some flexibility and control over your output

Fidelity

If you look at human generated Job Maps you’ll see them range from 7 steps to nearly 30 steps. Why do you think this happens?

It’s definitely not because they’re perfect!

Again, it happens because their clients are meddling. That’s Okay! They understand their problem and their stakeholders better than you do, so let them meddle. I will give you some of the tools I use to deal with this (as of the time of this writing). They will allow you to control both the scope and the fidelity (granularity) of your maps.

Alternatively, you can simply allow the process to work itself out. EXPERIMENT!

Examples

I generated a catalog for the job of a Facility Manager maintaining an equestrian facility. Here’s the high fidelity job map and success metrics

I also generated a low fidelity version of the map (not the success metrics 😢)

As you can see, the high fidelity version has twice the number of steps as the low fidelity version