Turning “Not My Jobbers” into “Love My Jobbers”!

Are you managing a bunch of not-my-jobbers. If so, you’re not alone …

The “I don’t give a flying crap about my job” syndrome happens every day — every single day (so you’re definitely not alone! Feeling better yet? Well, you should be). Many people get this way when they become bored with their job, and no longer see the forest through the trees (read: see how their contributions are fulfilling the goals of the company). So what is causing these “bad” attitudes? Are your employees exhibiting them? Frustrated (good … at least you care)? Read on …

Most companies these days are trying to do “more with less”! Heads are being chopped, and remaining workers are being forced to pick up the slack. This is causing these survivors to wander around lost throughout their slimmed-down organization, and become less willing to step up and act as a guide. In this highly-pressured atmosphere, many of your staff members will immediately assume that you want to turn your short-staffed situation into their new-duties problem. They are, quite understandably, going to try and avoid this new burden that you’re now placing on their shoulders. So how then are you going to earn the cooperation and respect you’ll need to get the job done? I have a few suggestions …

To prevent the unwanted “it’s not my job” epidemic from tearing your organization apart at the seams, try using the following advice to help develop commitment and enthusiasm in your workforce:

Ask for favors. Show them you appreciation (they deserve a compliment). How? Well, thank them for a job well done, pat them on the back, give them a paid day off, or send them a thank-you note once in a while. Note: money may get people in the door, but it won’t get them to do a better job — that other stuff will (believe me)!

Call beforehand. Give them the chance to adjust their busy schedules around your new requests. Then show them what you need done, and how they can help you do it (it’ll then seem like their decision). Pitch this as an opportunity for them to learn something important (they’ll eat that up).

Never confront. It’ll rarely help, and it just makes people less likely to help you. Why not find out what is preventing them from doing their jobs? Is it the high-priority tasks? Most of your staff wants to do a good job, and they’ll sincerely help you when they can, so work with them to fit your issues into their schedules (you’ll then get the help you need).

Communicate well. Openly state the purpose for the new assignment. Go ahead … focus on the end result rather than on the process. How well are you expressing the importance of what needs to be done to make things work around the office (did you know that this “not my job” problem could have originated from your personality? Yea, it could have)? Time to change your leadership-style?

Open up to everyone. There is no single motivational tactic more powerful than finding out ways to make your staff’s workloads run easier, faster, and smarter. Get everyone involved in problem-solving brainstorms to accomplish these goals. It’ll lead to a much happier staff, who’ll now believe that their ideas are going to be valued, and you know what that leads to don’t you? I sure as hell hope so!

It’s true: most people work to survive, and money is certainly a motivator — but only to a point. Completing work outside one’s areas of expertise, and beyond the schedule of their workday may look like dedication to an ignorant boss, but it’s actually a recipe for overworked employees and substandard results. “Not my job” employee aren’t usually trying to avoid their responsibilities, and these words shouldn’t be seen as an act of defiance, but as a gift of your future success. This employee bravely stood up to inform you that they don’t currently have the time or skills to effectively complete the task. Sure, it’s easy to kiss a#$ and say “yes”, but it takes courage to be honest enough to tell a superior that you cannot do something.

Also, this type of questioning actually provides a solid foundation for understanding each person’s function in the organization, which can create another job for someone else to own and succeed at (a rewarding result for simply taking a chance on speaking up, don’t you think?). So instead of falsely translating “not my job” as a sheer act of insubordination, why not consider it as an opening for much needed improvement? Did you know that the best companies in the world have everyone working in roles where they are supremely competent and passionate, and where all new work is accepted based not on fear of reprisal, but genuine interest and expertise (want to become one of those companies? Yea, I thought so)? Now you do!

This, my friend, is how to correctly get your staff back into working order — you’re welcome!