"It is not my job!"

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You will hear this phrase all the time in the midst of a change or a problem.
It is a universal response to avoid blame.
Blame is avoided because accepting it will mean change may follow.
And change is scary for a lot of people.

There is a sense of control, and knowing what to expect from the day when it is consistent with the day before.
When a person is faced with blame their internal consistency of feeling like they are doing a good job is disrupted.
 Humans strive for internal consistency because it makes us comfortable.
Even if a persons entire job is in support of a broken policy...
They feel ok with it because at least they know what is expected of them.
Besides why question a policy?
"It isn't their job to question the policy"
They feel safe by doing things the same forever.
Until someone (usually a customer) starts expecting more from them.
Consistency gets disrupted when expectations feel challenged.
In most 9-5 jobs there is little discussion about expectations after the training period so long as the sailing remains smooth.


Individuals in those positions have a particular perception of what “smooth sailing” feels like.
“Management” reinforces that perception and therefore encourages their employees ball keeps bouncing to someone else...
So when the feeling of “smooth sailing” gets interrupted it make sense some people uncomfortable.
It is a corporate culture of a lot of companies, Doctors offices, and school systems.

 “It is not my job” is a statement that happens to people who recognizes that something has disrupted the status quo and is uncomfortable that people are upset.
The phase is said because the person who is on the receiving end of the finger pointing does not want to be the cause.
They do not want to be the reason people are unhappy.
The next phrase after “it is not my job” is usually a statement of who is responsible for the problem. 
And the person responsible is never the person who claims “it is not my job!”.
Not according to them…
And somehow, society supports this attitude of not taking responsibility for any disruption.
The motto seems to be: “just keep blaming someone else until people stop pointing at you”.
Forget that it isn’t an efficient way to solve problems…
Forget that the customer is feeling mishandled…
“It is not my job!”

In a world of people saying, “it is not my job” there is good news and bad news for you…
Because here is a fact concerning your particular job: You have people confront you with their expectations for you on a daily basis.
Due to both the nature of your career as a self propped professional and the accountability you embrace as a virtue.

If you do not solve problems that people present to you, no one else will solve the problem.
Ultimately, problems around you that do not get solved will eventually impact how successful you can become.

The good news and the bad news are one in the same on this topic.
The bad news is you can’t obtain maximum success and say: “it is not my job” and let the NEXT person deal with the fall out.
The good news is if you are one of the few who do not say, “it is not my job”…
You will always have a job.

Hint: There will not be a "now hiring" sign for the position that is "no ones job".
You can go ahead and assume it is no ones "job" to make such a sign...

So go make solving problems your job.
Make your own demand by fixing situations...
And getting people unstuck.
Fill a needed position by creating and doing something that matters to people but is not being done.
Clearly the position has been in demand for a long time.
It is up to you to carve out and then fulfill your own "needed/wanted add".
 


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