Someone Else Took the Credit. Now What?
Your boss or colleague grabbed the glory for your work. Here’s how to take it back.
It’s a rite of passage in the corporate world: you spend weeks or months on a project that boosts sales, brings in customers, and raises the firm’s visibility. And just as you’re ready to take a victory lap, you watch the CEO thank… your colleague.
If it hasn’t happened to you yet, it will. Nearly eight out of 10 employees say they don’t get enough recognition for their work, according to figures from Gallup—a figure that holds steady from year to year. “This happens to everyone at some point,” says David Vied, global sector leader for medical devices and diagnostics. The frequency doesn’t make it any less infuriating.
Credit hogging is far from benign. It’s demoralizing and disheartening, and leads to disengagement, says Kendra Marion, vice president of global assessment services at Korn Ferry. In the worst cases, employees leave for jobs where their contributions will be recognized. Experts say that when someone else takes credit for work, what matters even more than the theft is the response. Here’s what to do:
Have a conversation.
If a comfortable relationship exists between you and the credit hog, try talking it out. Rather than rehashing a particular project, try explaining the situation broadly: it is demoralizing when you’re not given credit for putting in extra hours or coming up with a great solution or working well done. “They might be unaware and, hopefully, will take the feedback well and give credit going forward,” says Marion.
With a boss, accept defeat.
Handling a boss who is a credit hog is particularly tricky. “You can’t just say, ‘Hey, I did all that work!’" She says a manager or boss who steals recognition is likely insecure about their own contributions and feels that giving credit diminishes their own value. Since options are limited, self-management is the name of the game: remind yourself of your self-worth and contributions. People frequently confuse recognition with value, so mentally untangling them helps.
Keep a list of accomplishments.
During performance reviews, don’t be shy. Pull out that list and make sure that your work is known. This can help “establish a record of what was done, when, and the result,” says Marion.
Watch the credit hog crash and burn.
Recognition stealing often ends on its own volition. The credit hog will eventually have to stand and deliver on topics where they lack depth, says Vied, or face colleagues who refuse to work with them. “Credit hogs eventually leave the organization, usually in an abrupt manner," he says. As a recruiter, Vied identifies this as frequent turnover on a resume. All you have to do is wait and watch—no need to fan the flames.
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