There are many jobs we get a chance to do in the different roles we play in life. If you can identify your role, identify the “jobs to be done”, and constantly evolve them, you will find success in most of your relationships.

I am lucky enough to work in a field where clarity of “jobs to be done” is essential for the survival of an idea. And so, I have tried to apply the same principle to even my personal relationships.

Job to be done is the expected outcome from whatever role we find ourselves. It is often defined from functional, emotional, and social perspectives

Your role as a brother will be different from your role as a son or uncle. So will your role as a spouse differ from your role as a daughter. Same applies to friendship, mentoring, and other types of relationships we find ourselves in. One recipe for failure in any relationship is to try to do a different job.

When I first met my wife, the first thing I did was to identify the “job to be done”. I try my best each time to do this job in other to ensure I continue to add value to our relationship.

Would you be able to do all the jobs perfectly? No! But by focusing on the most important jobs, you can guarantee a meaningful relationship.

So whenever you enter a new relationship (job, mentor, friend, niece etc), ask yourself, what am I expected to do in this relationship?