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"When people are treated poorly, they tend to want to act out by sticking it to the boss," Carnachan explains the possible cause of the "Not my job" mentality. "But pushing back by refusing to do unpopular chores, like [taking] out trash, wash[ing] up, or restock[ing], becomes childish. 'We'll just see how bad it gets before somebody does something' should turn, instead, to a discussion about what needs to be done, who is doing it, and when."
"Every job has elements that are less interesting, even downright unappealing," Carnachan points out. "But if there's a fair distribution and rotation and everyone knows what the rules are, it goes better. If the boss won't step up to [initiate] this conversation, then a staff member can."
"Job descriptions don't get into details like restocking the printer," she adds. "It's up to the manager to set the stage for teamwork in their department and the expectations for communication, dealing with disagreements, being attentive to safety, owning the work of the entire team instead of just their own contribution, and [contributing] to the little tasks that are required for a smooth operation."
Carnachan says that a team should adopt the view that each member "owns the work of the team." Employees, thus, should have a less individualistic approach to their work. "When people feel responsible solely for their own work, coworkers may start evaluating each other to monitor who they think is not pulling their weight."
"If a colleague's inattentive or their inaccurate work compromises safety or the team's outcomes, speaking to the manager about your concerns makes sense. But withholding help or engaging in stupid power plays to punish the colleagues or the boss isn't okay."
#33 My Contract Never Stated I Had To Move Rocks Away. Thank You Very Much
