One of the most derided phrases in the workplace is “that’s not my job.” It’s been assumed that those who use this phrase are unwilling to help their colleagues for the benefit of the broader team and company and are indifferent to problems that don’t precisely fit their job descriptions. The lack of ownership captured by those few words has been labeled “not-my-jobism.”
But not everyone making this declaration is deserving of such scorn. Sometimes, the task at hand really isn’t a part of the job description. If employees were to concede to every request that came across their desk, they’d have no time to do the work that actually is part of their job description. There are plenty of employees just like this who end up being taken advantage of because they simply can’t say no.
