Long time reader Joyce wrote me to share her most hated phrase as a manager. It is:
“That’s not my job.”
You know that rot is seeping in to the culture when you start hearing this one.
Organization charts exist for a reason. And that reason is to define those things that,
IF YOU DON’T DO THEM, THEY WON’T GET DONE
If purchasing is your job, you’d better focus on it, because your neck is on the block to execute that role/function. Same with reception or A/P, or sales, or any other role.
But that doesn’t mean that if someone needs a hand with something, you’re free to say that most hated phrase.
Back in the day when I was in sales, I covered stores across Western Canada. My job was to train their sales people, develop strategies to help them win, iron out glitches with us (the manufacturer), and help the stores be on point with branding and systems and so on.
However, if I was on a store visit and a big delivery of our products arrived, I carried boxes in my shirt and tie just like everybody else. Or, if staff were busy and a customer walked in, I dealt with them. As did everyone who did my job in the company.
Those duties weren’t on our job descriptions, but it sped everything up, and showed that we were all on the same team.
Don’t buy the “that’s not my job” line.
OUR job is to PLEASE OUR CUSTOMER.
And sometimes that means doing things that aren’t “your job.”
Have a great week!
