A New Way to Look at Work: Divide it into 4 Types and Conquer Each

Welcome to a new way to look at work. We present a framework through which we can communicate what we’ve learnt from millions of business users over the last two decades. And we’re calling it the ‘Work Insights Framework.’ It classifies all work into four fundamental types and shows you how you can approach each.

The key to this framework is to look at any piece of work as a question and answer. The question is a problem that needs to be solved, a set of requirements to be met, or a desire to be fulfilled. The answer is how to achieve it. This is the actual work itself; the plan and its execution.

When we take on a task, it’s not always the case that both the question and answer are known (or even knowable). For example, when a detective begins an investigation, the question is known, but the answer needs to be figured out. Similarly, there are four possible ways in which the question and answer can be known or unknown. These possibilities lead us to the four fundamental types of work.

1. Known Question, Known Answer (KQKA) — The Routine
2. Unknown Question, Known Answer (UQKA) — The Ritual
3. Known Question, Unknown Answer (KQUA) — The Investigation

4. Unknown Question, Unknown Answer (UQUA) — The Exploration

The Work Insights Matrix is a tool to easily visualize this idea.

Let’s take a closer look at what each of these types mean and how they should be dealt with.

1. Known Question, Known Answer — The Routine

The first type is where both the problem and its solution are clearly understood. This kind of work only demands straightforward execution so we call it a Routine.

Because much of the work involves repetitive tasks with well-known steps, the time it takes to complete this kind of work is predictable and the amount of time spent or number of units completed are often used as a measure of progress. For instance, in a factory where people assemble equipment piece by piece the person who assembles the most units per day could be the best person for the job.

Having well-defined processes will help us get the most out of routine work. A good process should provide an easy-to-follow, efficient path to completion. However, this work can turn drudgerous if the documents are excessively long or processes overly complex.This is where software automation can prove invaluable. At each stage of the process, the system prompts the user for everything that needs to be done in order to move on to the next stage. This removes the need for keeping it all in mind all the time. The system can also automate a good portion of the work such as making calculations, validating data, and notifying people.

Those managing such processes need to be in a position to quickly identify bottlenecks. If the reports available to them are insightful enough, delays can even be anticipated and avoided. Measuring the performance of the different moving parts helps make continuous improvements.

Since both the question and answer are known in routine work, we focus on getting the work done efficiently. Automation, supervision, and measurement help us achieve this.

2. Unknown Question, Known Answer — The Ritual

In this case, a person understands how to execute the tasks at hand, but the purpose or motivation behind them is unclear. This often happens when the work needs to conform to some broader policy or mandate that doesn’t seem to help the particular case. Sometimes, people also act out of peer pressure from others in the organization. Most of the time, such work is treated as a chore, and is done without much inspiration or excitement. This type of work is called a Ritual.

Many processes are created because they provide a semblance of structure. Actions are tracked, there are checks and balances, and so we feel safe. But when processes are added indiscriminately, your organization can end up with a bunch of rituals, which either wind up taxing employees unnecessarily, or being bypassed altogether.

Making organization-wide policies to fix the mistakes of a few people is another way to introduce rituals. This may seem like a simple solution, but it is better to address such issues on a case-by-case basis. Talk to people about any problems and see if you can find a solution together. Make compromise and reallocate work in order to rectify the situation. Try to view time spent directly fixing issues as an investment. It will pay rich dividends in the long run by promoting a healthy work culture, free from bureaucracy.

Rituals can also be created implicitly. Say you want to keep the work hours in your firm flexible, but a few influential employees stick to a particular time. A new hire may feel like everyone is expected to follow this, even if a different schedule suits her better. Again, it is the responsibility of the leadership to clearly communicate what is expected to ensure that employees don’t end up creating their own rituals.

In this information age, businesses are propelled by their ability to generate fresh ideas and enable spontaneous, barrier-free communication. This can only happen in an informal environment where people feel trusted and free. To achieve this, purge your organization of rituals.

3. Known Question, Unknown Answer — The Investigation

Many business functions are not much different from a whodunnit murder mystery. The problem is abundantly clear, but we have to arrive at the solution by putting together clues and trying different approaches. Such work is called an Investigation.

A plan can help us approach investigations in an organized way. A service firm building a solution to meet client requirements could organize their project hierarchically with the most significant points on the path to completing the work forming the milestones. Those could be further split into tasks that are assigned to individual specialists. Similar tasks could be combined into task lists while complex tasks are broken down into subtasks.

At the same time, don’t get too carried away with plans. An investigation can reveal sudden turns along the way, especially with software, where new ideas can emerge and requirements can change at any time. In such cases, we should be ready to act according to the situation. Approaches like the Agile methodology are designed to help us always be ready for change.

Different methods are employed to measure such work. Time logs, number of tickets closed, and lines of code written are all metrics to measure progress. But exercise caution when using these metrics. They may help you generate your invoice, but remember: we are dealing with work that inherently has a lot of unknowns. The amount of effort involved and time taken to complete such work cannot really be specified in advance. The best indicators of your effectiveness are customer happiness and the value your solutions provide.

“Order and method are his gods,” writes Agatha Christie about her most famous detective, Hercule Poirot. “He goes so far as to attribute all his success to them.” Go about your investigations in an organized way and stay sharp; don’t let unexpected twists catch you off guard!

4. Unknown Question, Unknown Answer — The Exploration

At a time when the earth was believed to be flat, seafarers set sail to find out what lay beyond the edge. They did not know what their destination was, or where their path would lead. The spirit of exploration made them restless enough to sail away from the comfort of familiar shores. When neither the problem nor the solution is known, we call it Exploration.

Creating anything new, from a software product to a novel, is an exploration. Planning and measurement as done in other kinds of work are of little help here. Standard parameters like the amount of time spent are no indicators of success. We are on uncharted ground and must keep going until we are happy with what we have.

Exchange of ideas and discussions play an important role. We start with an imaginary end product in mind and need to make it work in the real world. Being open to input and criticism from others, and making course corrections based on that feedback, is a vital component. A resilient and patient disposition is necessary to keep iterating and reworking.

In such an endeavor, a team can become much greater than the sum of its parts. Such a team is not organized hierarchically; there is no commander, the best ideas win, and these ideas can come from anyone.

Software tools can play a significant role in facilitating such collaboration. Feeds that resemble social networks are a great way to get quick feedback on ideas and make decisions. Forum posts can start more elaborate discussions. Most collaboration tools allow forming groups to have conversations focused on specific areas.

This is the highest form of work; it lies above all structure and formulae. It is driven by an instinct that something exciting lies ahead. In the world of unknowns, it is impossible to predict what exactly you’re going to end up with. Ideas evolve each step of the way. It takes openness and courage to accept whatever comes our way and to keep exploring.

Rounding it up

Businesses that succeed in the long run don’t just get their projects done on time and under budget. They also provide a rich and rewarding experience for everyone involved. Work becomes stimulating and fulfilling in itself. This is when we say a place has a great work culture.

Recognizing the different forms of work and using the right approach for each can go a long way in building that culture.

Note: If you liked what you saw here, we have some good news – we’re just getting started. We will follow this up with more posts on getting great work done. Do follow ‘Zoho Work Insights’ to make sure you don’t miss any of it.