Workplace Challenges
How to get credit for your ideasYou are at a meeting to discuss ideas for implementing a new program in your company. After some discussion, you tentatively throw out an idea. It is ignored. by TAG and CATHERINE GOULET |
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 [ 2007-08-21 ] |
FabJob.com
Ten minutes later, one of your co-workers says “Hey, here’s an idea ...” and restates your suggestion almost word for word.
This time, “your” idea is met with a chorus of “Great idea!” from your colleagues.
If this has ever happened to you, you are not alone.
Dr. Sonia Herasymowych, Ph.D., a consultant on mental diversity, says one reason ideas are sometimes not acknowledged the first time they’re stated is because of differences in thinking styles.
Right-brained thinkers (most of whom are women) tend to be intuitive. They may jump to a conclusion and express it before their left-brained colleagues (most of whom are men) have arrived at the same conclusion. It is only after the discussion has logically led to the idea that it is likely to be embraced by the left-brained thinkers, says Herasymowych.
Whether or not you get credit also depends on how your idea is communicated.
In her book Talking From 9 to 5, Deborah Tannen, Ph.D., reports that employees who get heard at meetings tend to be those who speak more directly, more loudly, and at greater length than their co-workers.
Trying to be polite can backfire. Says Tannen, “Many people try to avoid seeming presumptuous by prefacing their statements with a disclaimer such as, ‘I don’t know if this will work, but ...’ or ‘You’ve probably already thought of this, but ...’.” Such disclaimers may result in the rest of the message being ignored.
“Women are often conditioned not to brag about their accomplishments while men are trained to do exactly that,” says Sandra Beckwith, author of Why Can’t a Man Be More Like a Woman? ”I advise women to mimic male confidence when presenting their ideas so they are more likely to be heard and get the appropriate credit.”
“Be assertive when putting an idea forth,” says Pamela J. Holland, co-author of Help! Was That a Career Limiting Move? “If you float something out at a meeting, but do so without conviction – even if it’s brilliant – there’s a chance that it will be overlooked or maybe even jumped on by someone else who recognizes its value and quickly takes it on as their own.”
If you’re in a competitive workplace, you may then need to set the record straight. Beckwith advises “write a memo after the fact that makes it clear where the idea came from – ‘I’m glad to see that Bob liked my idea, which was to...’”
In other workplaces, it may be better to let it go. Peter Handal, President and CEO of Dale Carnegie Training warns, “If you’re working as part of a team, aggressively taking credit for your ideas can make you look like an insecure egomaniac.”
The best solution is to prevent your ideas from being stolen in the first place.
“If you have a great idea, market it internally and discuss it with multiple people, which allows you to take ownership of your ideas and prevents others from appropriating them as their own,” recommends Handal. “However, give credit where it’s due and if you share the idea with someone and they come up with another idea that enhances yours, prepare to market it as a joint idea.”
Andrea Kay, author of Life’s a Bitch and Then You Change Careers, says, “Make a point to let your boss know about your achievements and worthy ideas. Don’t assume he or she will notice. Bosses are too busy with their own problems.”
“If you’ve got an idea on how to improve a process, project or relationship, increase sales or save the day, speak up," says Kay. "If you can’t get face time with your boss, write it down. If it’s via e-mail, put in the subject line: ‘How to save the Turner account’ or ‘How to save $50,000 on training costs.’”
But what if it’s your boss who takes credit for something you’ve come up with?
“If your boss takes the credit, they owe you one,” says Dr. Ted Sun, executive coach and author of Secrets of Biz Success.
“Don’t lose sight of the fact that your number one most important job is to support your manager and make him or her look good,” says Holland. “If that means letting this person take credit for what you’ve done – so be it. The rewards you reap behind the scenes in terms of your performance appraisal, career support, etc. should offset it, provided you work for a manager who you trust and who shows respect and consideration for you in other ways.”
If your boss routinely takes credit for your ideas without rewarding you, it may be time to look for a new job.
But Steven L. Katz, author of Lion Taming: Working Successfully with Leaders, Bosses, and Other Tough Customers has a different point of view.
“When it comes to bosses, clients and others who you want to engage in your ideas, the critical test of the value of an idea is if they do make it their own,” says Katz. “Better than credit, what you really want in an organization is influence!”
Tag and Catherine Goulet are authors of Dream Careers and founders of FabJob.com, a publisher of career guides offering step-by-step advice for breaking into a variety of dream careers. Visit www.FabJob.com .
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