By Thomas J. Noyes, CCM, CCE
We have all heard someone say, at one time or another, "That's not my job." Of course, this is never said in passing. It is usually said in direct response to a request for service or information. If you've experienced this, you know how it can shape your impression of both the organization and the individual delivering the message. Rather than feeling supported, it can leave you questioning the level of service and teamwork behind the interaction.
While it really comes off as a rude proclamation – that's not my job – I think a lot of the time, that response comes from people not really being clear on what their job actually is.
So, whose problem is at the root of this saying? Managers may need to help guide their employees toward a clearer understanding of what their job really is, and make sure they're not confusing "job" with "tasks." It's easy to be asked for something outside of your normal, routine responsibilities—the bulleted items in a job description—but that doesn't make it acceptable to figuratively (or literally) point elsewhere with a shrug and think the issue is no longer yours. In reality, that approach often creates a bigger problem, not a smaller one.
Every person in your organization has the same job – to work towards the common goal of the organization's success. Remember the custodial worker who told President John F. Kennedy that he was helping to send a man to the moon? His TASKS were probably to sweep, mop and shine the handrails. His JOB was the same as every other worker in that building, to make sure his organization ran properly on every level, so they could send a man to the moon.
Each person may have different tasks, but they should all contribute meaningfully to the job. Otherwise, why do them at all?
When an associate is asked something or for something, they're given a great opportunity, maybe even more than one. First, they may get to learn something by helping the person find the answer they need or by connecting them with the associate whose work is more closely related to their request. The second opportunity is you get to do your job which is taking care of the needs of your members, guests, residents or customers.
If a person is asking for something that is not one of your routine tasks, do you really think they care about who usually handles it? I think studies would show they absolutely do not. But there is good news for that associate. If, by saying "that's not my job," they are trying to make sure people don't bring them similar requests in the future, their strategy might actually work. In my world, if your answer starts with "that's not my job," pretty soon you'll be right—it won't be your job anymore.
Instead of defaulting to "that's not my job," there are a few simple shifts that can make a big difference in how you show up and how others experience working with you:
These aren't extra steps or "above and beyond" behaviors—they are the difference between a narrow view of a job and a broader understanding of what it actually means to contribute. When people consistently respond this way, "that's not my job" stops being part of the culture, because everyone starts to understand that the real job is helping things get done.
