However unless you’re working on your own, I feel there’s a very fine line between becoming multiskilled/proactive/helpful and end up being blatantly exploited — company bosses will always try to get more than what they bargained for. That’s quite a touchy subject that deserves some pondering.

I typically run the rule that whatever the boss asks you to do, typically just do it. There are obviously limitations, like if what he asks you to do is against your moral beliefs, but if its doing a little extra stuff on the side outside of your job description, then go for it.

People don’t realize that it takes hard work to get somewhere in life. The ones that are left behind typically are hte ones who do the minimum.

Think Jennifer Aniston in Office Space at Chausky’s (sp?) (do you want to do the minimum, do our customers want minimum service?) (ok not verbatium )

Anyways good post.

Yes, but I was more or less referring to the outcry I hear in my everyday work life, that is “Well, I shouldn’t have to do that because it’s not in my job description.”

Did you ever see that commercial for FedEx where this lady grabs “the new guy” to help with the shipping problem. He walks in thinking they are going to need his management expertise, and really they just need a warm body to help print off these new super-fast shipping labels. Once he complains that he has his MBA, she says “Oh, you have your MBA?! Well… I guess I’m going to have to show you how this works.”

I love that commercial; cracks me up everytime I see it!

You are right; those sort of excuses are just lame.

We have a cleaning service that shows up every Tuesday and Thursday. Aside from these days we (as in the employees) are responsible for keeping the place clean, however menially. People are afraid to pitch in, afraid that if they go outside their protective barrier it’ll crush their professional image.

It’s just a reminder that no thing is too small to take care of and sometimes using other parts of our brain and skills we might use elsewhere improves the feng shui of our workplace and skillset.

I don’t know; this seems to be a trend with web/creative people especially. I’m guessing with all the dot.com fallout and the crap economy, people started to worry about overspecializing. Once I realized not everyone can do what I do (something I still struggle with, trust me), I always knew that I could find work despite advertising budgets getting cut. So far, it has been true, even after a couple layoffs. My career has always gone up.

Do what it takes to get the job done, as long as its not illegal or immoral…end of story.