The most profoundly unhelpful phrase in modern business consists of just four syllables: "That's not my job." While uttering this phrase is rarely grounds for dismissal, perhaps it should be---especially in these days of uncertain economic conditions and an ever-changing marketplace---when teamwork matters more than it ever has before.

To paraphrase Ben Franklin, the members of a workplace team must hang together, or they'll surely hang separately. Just one person refusing to do you what need to have done can damage team productivity. But human beings can be remarkably selfish, so you'll likely hear some variation of this excuse eventually. How should you handle it when you do, and when is it legitimate for someone to say no?

No Guff Allowed

Let's be realistic here. Job descriptions are fluid nowadays, given the constantly shifting challenges we face; and in any case, the new task may not even have existed when you or HR wrote the description for that particular position. But someone has to take it on, and these days, managers often have to do more with less. So assuming that what you've instructed someone to do isn't dangerous, unreasonable, or unproductive, you can't afford to accept this excuse from a team member.

That said, legitimate excuses for declining a job do exist. So if you hear those dreaded words from someone and they don't explain, look to the root of the problem. Here's how to counter the most common objections, starting with the worst.