Yes, it really is your job

It’s quite easy to get too attached to job descriptions. It’s quite easy to be narrowly focused on what you were hired to do, what you’ve been specifically asked to do by your boss, and forget about what the customer wants, or is asking for.

Let’s say I’m at a restaurant, and I need a fork. I can’t find my waiter anywhere. The first restaurant employee who walks by is going to hear my request for a fork.

That employee might be a bus boy, or another table’s waiter, or even the owner. It’s probably not “their job” to get me a new fork, but it’s equally unacceptable for them to say they can’t help me.

Our jobs aren’t defined by our job descriptions. They’re defined by what our customers want, what they need, and our ability to deliver on that desire quickly, efficiently, and to the satisfaction delight of the customer.

Geno Church delivers a great riff on this on the Brains on Fire blog today. It’s a good reminder that great customer experiences, and remarkable businesses, are built not on narrowly-defined job descriptions, but on going above and beyond to make our customers happy, successful, and coming back for more.