21 February 2009

That's not my job!

I have noticed in my role as an assistant that I can be called upon to do a lot of things. Our job is not just one thing, but many different tasks and it changes every day. If a conference comes up and they are looking for someone to do the registration, we can step in and do that or we can organize it from start to finish.

If someone is needed at the Reception Desk to greet guests and take calls, we can easily step in. What about brainstorming to see what organizational tools would work best in the office? Who better than the admins to come up with something that works.

Sometimes scheduling meetings can be a headache with no end in sight trying to get all the parties together. Give the task to an assistant and we will work with everyone involved and not only set up the meeting date and time, but book the boardroom, photocopy and distribute the meeting materials and arrange the flight and hotel if necessary.

If your job changes, adapt to the new challenges. Be open to it as it not only makes the job more interesting, but more importantly, it makes you more valuable.

We are fortunate that our roles are so versatile and in these times of lay offs, that is a good thing. Someone who says, "That's not my job!" will not go far as we need to be available to fill in the gap wherever we can.

3 comments:

Sabrina said...

I hate saying "that's not my job" but sometimes, it's very out of scope. In my current role I can't take someone's blood pressure and in my previous role, often times they wanted to be a Lotus Notes developer. Not that I wasn't interested but I could only do the very basics. There comes a time when companies need to pony up the money and either pay for your training or pay for a professional instead of heaving everything off on the admin because they're cheap.

Patricia Robb said...

Good point Sabrina. Of course if you are not licensed to do a particular job, or qualified, then you should not do it. I was thinking more of administrative duties and stretching yourself and being available when something is asked of you. Sometimes people don't want to do it because it is not in their job description, but by being open you may find your job more interesting and you more valuable as a result.
As an example, I am now helping my boss with a corporate blog he started and because I have experience with blogging in my personal life, I have used that and now do it professionally as well. It is not in my job description however, but I am happy that I let myself be available as it has certainly made my job more interesting.

Patricia Robb said...

In regard to training, I think you would make a good case for the company paying your training if you are doing something at a basic level and with training could do it much better. You would also make a good case come performance appraisal time and showing your value and perhaps getting a raise.
It's all in how you look at it and if you are looking short term or long term.