Doing your job

The phrase "not my responsibility" is one I hate. As a member of an institution, be it a club, company, or military unit, your job is to complete the group's mission. That covers everything from doing your part to aiding others in doing theirs. While it may not be your job to fulfill a specific contribution towards the end-goal, it is your responsibility to make sure it gets done.

This is the core of a good work ethic; the drive not only to complete your own tasks to the best of your ability and regardless of personal inhibitions, but to ensure all tasks are completed to their maximum potential. If an imperative objective is not reached by another department, your own work will not be enough to achieve success, regardless of its quality.

The Marine Corps adheres to the philosophy of "every Marine a rifleman", meaning that regardless of their occupation within the military, every Marine is capable of joining the fight. However, this is not restricted to combat. Every Marine is expected to engage in other activities that serve the mission's completion regardless of their specialty or assigned role. For this reason, the United States Marine Corps is one of the world's most dynamic fighting forces.

It's easy to say such motivation to do work outside your own field is a product of the stringent military lifestyle. After all, if the Marines fail in their mission people die. But this philosophy is no less valid in the operation of any other institution; the difference is that the negative impacts are harder for the individual member to realize.

In a company, if a target is not met the result is a loss in profits, a decrease in market share, or drop in stock prices. These are concepts far too removed from the lowly worker for them to be emotionally invested in. But through strong communication of the bigger picture with an emphasis on the necessary contribution of each department, such a concept can be brought across.

Such an understanding can be combined with incentives to foster healthy competition, using positive reinforcement to motivate members to go above and beyond their expectations. However, that also requires a working environment that encourages initiative and fills leadership positions with those willing to cooperate, rather than jealously hoard their responsibilities.

Meaning that when someone unrelated and possibly unqualified to do your job wants to help, you should be open to their assistance. Cross-training is an effective means of greasing the gears of this process, helping instil a level of understanding of other positions and thereby educating workers on how best to aid other functions in an efficient manner.

That understanding also contributes directly to communication. While one department might want to improve their productivity, the changes they implement may negatively impact the operations of another. If their leaders know one another's jobs, they can better coordinate to avoid conflict and even initiate cooperation. This creates a more cohesive workplace, prevents redundancies, and maximizes efficiency.

All of this means that the shared responsibility of achieving the group's end-goal needs to happen at all levels and in every position, from where the rubber meets the road on the factory floor or front line, up to the lofty corporate or divisional command. Contributing to the mission can range from taking it upon yourself to do someone else's job to letting someone better positioned to do part of your own job for you. But without an appreciation for the bigger picture, such dynamic cooperation is impossible.