It's Not My Job

Imagine for a moment that you are watching your favorite football team, they just scored the go-ahead touchdown and point after, they are three points ahead, but there are two seconds on the clock and no time outs. The kicker tees up the ball and kicks it perfectly down the field, where it is caught and the opposing teams runner starts carrying the ball forward at an amazingly fast pace.

The clock has now expired, when suddenly the ball carrier breaks through the entire line of defense. You look down the field, as it seems no one can catch him, and he is running straight towards the kicker, who should be able to easily stop him, given the angle he is running. Just as you think the kicker will save the game, he suddenly steps aside and allows the runner to enter the end zone, ending everyone’s dreams of a victory in a moment, and leaving everybody wondering why the kicker failed the entire team and fans.

Often when we think about football players most of us never think about the kicker as being one of the most important players on the (eld. We usually think about the quarterback or a superstar running back, or even that huge highly recruited defensive player who just decimates offensive lines. The kicker many times is the smallest person on the field and typically, wears less protection than any other player wears. However, it is not uncommon to hear an announcer say that the last person who can stop the runner is the kicker. What if the kicker suddenly just decided that it was not in his job description to play defender, how would that affect the entire team?

The same can be said in the business world. Too often, seemingly menial tasks are ignored just because, “it’s not my job”. How many times have you walked past a piece of paper in the parking lot, or failed to pick up an item that is out of place, because it is somebody else’s job to take care of that? How often do customers not get the help they need because of some deadline or other “important” task? When it comes to taking care of a customer, there is nothing as important as making sure they receive the help needed and are able to shop in a clean and safe environment.

The same is also true for those tasks that do not fit into our job description. Just as the kicker may step aside from tackling the runner, and I would be the first to admit, I would not want to collide with some of these huge players either, we must do whatever it takes to win for the entire team. If you want to be on a winning team, you must realize that nobody or their position on the team is more important than the team itself, and that sometimes you might be the only person who can save the game. Have a great week, and remember teamwork makes the dream work!