Teams are the way ordinary people accomplish extraordinary things! Have you ever worked on a team that accomplished extraordinary things? I know I have and it is an amazing feeling. It is so rewarding to see what a team of people on the same page can accomplish. Sadly, more people will answer yes to my next question. Have you ever worked on a team that was brought down by the negative attitude of one person? I am sure most people have.

There are many things that can kill a team and a negative attitude is certainly one of them. But one thing that will not only kill your team, but also the culture of your organization is an attitude of “it’s not my job.” You have heard this response. You have worked with people who have said “I shouldn’t be doing this because it’s not my job” or “that isn’t worth my time.” Hopefully you were not working with them long because this type of an attitude will kill your team or organization. And it only takes one “it’s not my job” attitude to negatively effect the whole team. An effective leader of a team or organization will deal with this right away before it spreads.

It is important to remember that the last line of every good job description says: “All other duties as assigned.” This means that whatever you are told to do is a part of your job. You may not always like it and you may not agree with it, but it is your job. Perhaps you feel like you are not being utilized correctly. It is important to have an honest conversation about this, but you cannot have that conversation after saying “it’s not my job.”

Please remember the power of teams. Working together can dramatically increase your productivity and results. But if you allow people on your team to have an “it’s not my job” attitude, you will see a lack of results and before you know it, the whole team will suffer.

Think about the times when you have been given something you did not want to do. How did you respond? Negativity will be met with negativity and positivity will be met with positivity. Always respond positively and be the change that you want to see on your team!