Ask e-magnify: Ripped Off
6/20/2005

Q: My boss has a way of taking credit for my ideas. Things that I share in our monthly meetings routinely appear in company memos as her brainchild, with the staff picking up the bulk of the workload. At first I thought it was just my imagination, but lately others have noticed it too. Yesterday it infuriated me to no end to hear my boss take full credit after the owner complimented the department for a new billing procedure that saved the firm a ton of money. I pride myself on being a team player and I certainly don't want to jeopardize my job over this. My close friends tell me to grin and bear it. Is there a polite way to make sure I get the credit for all the work I do? -- D.M. in Santa Fe, NM

A: It sounds like your company has created a culture where individual achievements are valued over the work of the department. Sadly, this type of behavior has been rewarded for so long that it has become standard. Your gut may tell you to confront your boss and give her a piece of your mind. That may release a huge bundle of tension, but remember: She is your boss and ultimately holds more power than you do. On the other hand, by no means do you just have to "grin and bear it."

Certainly, no one wants to work in an environment where projects are only considered valid if a supervisor comes up with the idea or makes it her own by changing one or two components. Finding the delicate balance between feeling like a valued employee and swallowing a bit of pride to make the boss look good can be difficult. Many times a simple lack of communication between an employer and employee is the culprit for misunderstandings in the workplace.

[Small business owners, take note: You need to understand the importance of creating a culture in which employees feel valued and appropriately compensated. If your company's culture could use some improvement, read "How Owner Personality Affects Employee Performance"]

During a presentation on leadership, Trudy Bourgeois, president and CEO of The Center for Workforce Excellence, offered some excellent advice. After a long career in the male dominated tobacco industry, she believes that you should always stand up for yourself, tactfully yet forcefully. Never let someone take credit for your ideas no matter how much power or influence they have. After several failed attempts to get an idea across to the administration of her firm, Bourgeois was startled when the board gave the go ahead to a male colleague after he proposed the same concept.

Instead of sulking like a hurt child, she stood up calmly and said "Thank you [colleague]. I'm so happy to hear you were listening when I proposed we [insert idea]. I'm looking forward to working together on this project as I'm sure our complementary skills will bring success to this endeavor." This little comment stopped her colleague dead in his tracks. It sent a clear message, while at the same time allowing her to continue to work on the project.

"Be thankful that your boss is stealing your ideas, because the best way to make your boss love you is to make him or her feel smart," writes Penelope Trunk, a contributor for Business 2.0 magazine. "I say this because I've stolen ideas. I'd be in the car or the shower, and I'd have an idea for my company that had to be implemented immediately, so I’d grab a pen and start writing notes to myself. I’d get to the office and announce the new plans. Everyone would nod in agreement affirming my brilliance. Afterward in private, my best employee would say to me, 'You took my idea again. I told it to you yesterday, remember?' It's not as though I intentionally stole them. I was always shocked to hear they were not my own."

Trunk also goes on to write, "Credit for ideas is overrated anyway." She notes that as you move from job to job, employers don't care about ideas that may have come and gone – it's accomplishments, sales increases, and tangible assets that count. However, it still stings when it's your idea that helps your boss to a substantial raise or a better position in the company. When in doubt, document everything. Always put your ideas in writing to avoid the unpleasantness of conflict and bitter resentment. If an idea comes out of a brainstorming session, immediately go back to your computer and draft a memo reiterating your points, as well as an action plan to implement your idea in the workplace.

In addition to keeping written evidence of your contributions, it is also a good idea to routinely block off some time for you and your supervisor to go over goals, career objectives, and promotion opportunities. Dr. John Burton, ethics professor at the Schulich School of Business at York University in Toronto, Canada urges employees to make the conversation informal as a face-to-face reminder that a portion of the supervisor's job is to help groom talent for the company.

"An indirect approach such as this is intended to reframe the problem," he states. "Instead of feeling that you need to confront your boss in a way that feels competitive, bring him/her on board so that together the two of you can solve the problem of ensuring that you get the credit you deserve in order to be appropriately rewarded."

Best of luck and keep those ideas flowing!

Ask e-magnify your business-related questions and let us do the research! Just send your question to ask@e-magnify.com.

Research and response by Suzanne Thinnes, Communications Coordinator


SOURCES

Burton, John. "Applying Credit." 29 Apr. 2003. Office-Politics.com. 08 Jun. 2005. www.officepolitics.com/ethics/ethics_article_apr2903a.php.

Trunk, Penelope. "Hey, That Was My Idea!" 01 Mar. 2003. Business 2.0. 08 Jun. 2005. www.business2.com/b2/web/articles/0,17863,515413,00.html.

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