I’ve heard this line quite a number of times from people who were not aware of their REAL responsibilities. For example, there was this team leader who refused to learn about the things his subordinates were doing by saying “My job is team leader and this is not part of my job scope. I refuse to learn.”

Maybe sometimes...we should really say "This is not my job"

The result? The team leader was called into a meeting with the senior management and the directors. He was screwed pretty hard by the ‘bosses’. The ‘bosses’ said that as a team leader, he should be guiding his subordinates and should know (at least the basics) what the subordinates were doing. Just in case some of his subordinates went on medical leave, someone has to take over that work. If he refused to learn and do it, what would happen to that piece of work? Untouched….what about the deadline?

And the screwing process continued for many many hours….4-5 hours, if not wrong.

So the lesson of the day? Don’t be too rigid. Sometimes, you have to step out of your comfort zone and do more than whatever is being described in your job description, provided it is not for long term. If you are being hired as a project manager but have been asked to sweep the floor for 1 month……then something is seriously wrong. Otherwise, it’s best for you (and also in the interest of your company), to be flexible and do the stuff you are being requested to do. Remember that a flexible employee is a good asset to the company but a rigid one is regarded as a liability especially during times like this.

So the next time you want to say something like “This is not my job, I refuse to do it”, maybe you think twice. Because in the end, if you have this kind of rigid attitude…..the company will just find someone who is less rigid and who is more responsible……and that someone might just be your replacement.