If you don't want to do something...

What strategy you normaly use if you don't want to do something but you are asked to do or you might be asked to do?

The first rule of thumb which works: Make everyone believe that you don't know how to do it.

I remember at one point of time in the project I was working on entered into a very critical situation. Everyone in the team were working on many late nights, we're seriously lack of programmer resources and behind schedule. One of those days, one of the programmers was trying to refuse to take up more work and eventually went into an argument with the team lead. I can't recall exactly how's the conversation going, the only statement I didn't forget is the statement came out from the mouth of the team lead: "If I know how to do, I rather do it by myself!"

Yes, thanks for the kindness, If you know how to do.

Not long ago, I heard similar thing again: "We need help seriously, I sincerely wish to take over some part of it, unfortunately I don't know Java"

Again, thanks for the kindness.

If you failed to make everyone believe that you can't do it, here I offer the second rule of thumb.

Second rule of thumb, which will always work: Be at a higher position.

When you are in a high position, nobody (including those higher than you) would ask you to to do something that you don't like to do even they know that you are able to do it.

Conclusion, if you really don't know how to do something that assigned to you and you are not at a high position, good luck learning up yourself and don't argue, please.