Headlines this week are filled with the comparison of Melania Trump’s convention speech to First Lady Michelle Obama’s speech that she made at the 2008 Democratic Convention. We’ll let you decide if it’s an apt comparison or more political dialogue between the two parties fighting for the White House. The conversation has inspired us to address an age old situation happening in workplaces everywhere; how to handle a co-worker taking credit for your work. Has it ever happened to you? How did you handle it? Here are five things you should do when someone claims your work as their own, and a couple of things you should avoid.
- DO NOT publicly accuse the “thief”
One of the worst things you can do is immediately react in front of all of your colleagues when you feel like your contribution to a project is being overlooked. You do not want to publicly get angry when you might not have all the facts. There could be a totally innocent reason why your colleague isn’t mentioning the ways that your work was key to determining the outcome of the project. And if there is, you’re going to be more likely to look like a pouting kid.
- DO think through what was said
You might have just gotten so upset when your colleague starting talking about their contribution that when your name was mentioned, you didn’t hear it. Immediately reacting to a situation out of anger can cause you to focus on that one emotion and ignore other circumstances. It’s best to pull a trusted colleague aside and ask if they heard your colleague address your contribution in relationship to the outcome of the project. Hopefully after this conversation you’ll be able to understand if it’s really as bad as you thought it was. If your work seems to have been overlooked, move on to point number six. If you were given credit, even if it wasn’t substantial, read our next point.
- DO ask why
When you have returned to a normal, non-agitated state, pull the colleague aside that worked on the project with you and ask how they thought the presentation about your project went. Ask if the felt like they had the time and opportunity to address all the topics they wanted to cover. If they give a generic answer and say they were happy with how it went, take the opportunity to tell them what you wished they would have covered. Explain that you are a little disappointed with the outcome of the presentation and that you’ll look for other ways to communicate the findings or outcome of your project. The goal isn’t to blame your colleague, rather point out how your work could have been addressed in greater detail.
- DO divide and conquer
You’re likely going to have to work with this colleague again. In an effort to make your next project more equitable, determine who is going to do what, document it, and get it agreed upon via email. This way you both understand who is responsible for what task, and you have written correspondence that details your agreement. Should you complete the project only to have your colleague take credit for the entire project, you’ll have something to go back to your manager with that outlines your efforts. Even if you’re working with a colleague who historically has never overstepped their boundaries when it comes to giving credit where credit is due, it can be a way to equally divide tasks, bring clarity, and inspire a feeling of teamwork at the beginning of a new project.
- DO model “credit sharing” behavior
Even if it seems out of character for you to go out of your way praising your colleagues for things that would normally not be called out, now might be the time to emphasize the contributions of others in a public way. The idea is that if you’re seen publicly praising the work of others, your colleagues will be inspired to do the same. Instead of fostering a culture of self-promotion or spotlight stealing, encourage an environment where it’s expected that when someone does something great it’s acknowledged. You might be surprised at how one small change in addressing the contributions of team members inspires a cultural shift toward encouragement.
- DO talk to your manager
If you’ve determined that your colleague seems unwilling to acknowledge their “credit-stealing” behavior, and you’re not overreacting to a perceived problem, it’s time to talk to your boss or manager. The reason for going to your manager is two fold. First, you’ll want to bring documentation to explain why you feel like you aren’t being given credit for your work, and that your work really did contribute to the outcome of the project. Secondly, your boss or manager is likely the only one in the position to address the situation with the offending colleague. This is a coachable problem that your boss or manager can address with your colleague. Ideally, as a result of the conversation, your boss or manager further understands your value to your team and can proceed with a plan to end the “credit-stealing” behavior.
- DO NOT drag your whole department into the issue
While it might feel good to tell anyone who will listen about your “credit-hogging” colleague, this is the last thing you want to do. There is significant potential for this to backfire on you. Not only will you be the team gossip, you’ll also be viewed as a whiner. . . .even if what you’re saying is true. Keep the discussion about your feelings to a conversation with your manager and one trusted colleague at the most.
While it’s one of the least desirable situations to deal with, co-workers claiming credit for work that isn’t theirs is an age-old, common problem. However, if this happens to you, instead of jumping to the worst conclusion first, take a moment to truly assess the situation and step back to determine the best course of action. It’s a delicate situation, but one that is manageable and can be overcome through transparency and honest conversation.