YOUR JOB OR THE RIGHT JOB? Three ways to make them the same thing

Recently, I heard the pastor of my church tell a young person, ‘Our church has to find the hard things to do and go do them.’ He described our church's challenging ministry work in Title 1 schools in our city. I recently reflected on that sentiment when I came across this quote from NY Times best-selling author Liz Wiseman that resonated with me. ‘It wasn’t her job, she just did it.’

We are all so busy at work. Idealistically, the advances in technology were supposed to make us more efficient. What they actually did was allow us to jam much more into every day. How can we be team members who don’t just do our own jobs but are constantly aware of filling unexpected needs that arise inside our teams or even other teams around organizations? 

Here are three suggestions that I am reflecting on: 

Tune your radar to ‘impact setting’ in meetings. How often am I only thinking about what I need to share or say in meetings? How often do I zone out? I am considering how many opportunities I miss to do the right job, not just my job because my radar isn’t tuned to ‘greater impact setting’ during meetings. 

Ask more questions, and make fewer requests. I make a lot of requests. I need things done and lots of people to help me get them done. Making requests is a lot different than asking questions. Should I be asking more questions to understand how I can do my job and support others more effectively? 

Do your job exceptionally well. My father defines excellence as 'doing just a little bit more than is expected.' The biggest difference between the right job and your job may be simply doing your job at a greater level of effectiveness. A great way to evolve your role to have a greater impact is to consistently do just a little more than expected. Over time, a ‘little bit more’ piles up into a LOT OF IMPACT!

Consider the wisdom of the Apostle Paul when he challenged the church in Philippi with these words. ‘Each of us should not only look out for our own needs but for the needs of others.’ 

*This post is part of a series of personal reflections on Liz Wiseman's book Impact Players. I highly recommend it. 

Bite Down and Don’t Let Go is a collection of writings on relentlessly leading yourself and others well. Read about it more here. You can listen to the Bite Down and Don't Let Go podcast here! 

Dr. Chris Hobbs is an educational leader with more than two decades of experience. He’s earned a few degrees and won some awards. He’s happily married to his high school sweetheart, and they have three children. Life is messy and complicated most of the time. You can follow him on Twitter for inspirational thoughts and good laughs.