Not My Job

Those three words.  There is nothing worse than those three words. 

An oversight that was noticed but didn't get fixed, a clarification in an email that was needed but never written, a voicemail left unanswered because it went to the wrong department and was never forwarded....an excuse for anything.

Saying that something did not get done because it is not your job is never acceptable.  It's lazy, rude, and speaks very loudly that you do not give a shit.

And I don't have time for people who don't give a shit.

You should not have time for people who don't give a shit.

Here's what I'm not saying - that everything should be your job.  Because it really, truly, absolutely shouldn't.  You don't have the time, the resources, or the skill to do every job.  That's why building your team is so critical.  If we think we can do it all, we are ignorant - and we have an ego that needs to get a reality check. 

There are plenty of things that are not my job that come across my desk every day.  And I could never possibly get to all of them or do them correctly.  But what I can do is care.  I can care enough to follow up and see if I can help; I can notice a problem that is not under my direct role and investigate more; I can see pain points and try to offer some guidance, and I can make sure the appropriate person is alerted to the issue. 

And if all that fails miserably, I can work on solutions that my team can implement to go around the problem.  I can't go through brick walls but I can figure out a way around them. 

Just remember: Always give a shit.  Don't be the person who doesn't.  They are AWFUL to work with.