Job Roles and Tasks

Observing work and analyzing what you see into data can be difficult. For this exercise, I have to observe via online video. This provides the opportunity to rewind and view segments several times in order to capture the information that you need.

1. Search the internet for "Dirty Jobs". This is a television show. The host, Mike, experiences the end-to-end process of several kinds of dirty jobs during each show, but does not necessarily do them in order from beginning to end.

2. Identify a show with two segments to review.

3. For each of the two segments in that show, identify the items below. To do this you may wish to use a spreadsheet or set up a table so that your data makes sense.

a. The jobs (roles/tasks)

b. The flow of work from one role/task to the next (create a process flow)

c. The input and outputs of each role/task

d. The characteristic differences between a novice (Mike) doing this work and an expert doing the work

e. The impact of mistakes on the job

f. The reasons that people do this "dirty work" every day - what motivates them?

g. Barriers to accomplishing the task.

4. Analyze Mike's interview techniques.

a. How did he gain acceptance with his experts? What did he do or say to help get them on his side?

b. Identify a set of stock questions that he uses repeatedly with small variations?

c. How does his technique differ from the techniques recommended in your text?