In modern times, the number of workplace challenges just keeps growing. Moving up the corporate ladder may get you nowhere now. Raises, and dare we say promotions, are becoming an ordeal. And have you tried to concentrate in an open workspace, where colleagues might be loudly discussing dinner plans just as you’re trying to calculate next year’s product costs?
But there’s another kind of workplace dynamic that predates all of this and is no joy to navigate: Dealing with the credit hog.
You know the kind. They’re first in line when compliments are being dished out, and nowhere to be found when anything goes awry. Credit hogs come in all shapes and sizes, which means that they could be someone in the C-suite as easily as some rank-and-file new hire. Often, they strike when you least expect it, jumping into a Zoom meeting to imply they had a hand in a project you spent a whole month on. Sometimes, they can act behind your back, leaving you wondering why your boss didn’t notice your effort.
"Why does your work matter if your boss and company don’t know about your biggest contributions?"
To be fair, credit hogs are not always the bad actors they seem. Sometimes the misdeeds are more accidental, like their boss thanks them for a job they didn’t do, and they’re too flustered to know how to react. Some credit hogs are simply the boss’s favorite employee, the way your elementary-school teacher probably had a pet student. But don’t be fooled, a lot of credit snatchers know exactly what they are doing, and they can be a serious career hindrance. I mean, why does your work matter if your boss and company don’t know about your biggest contributions?
There are ways to combat credit hogs. Sometimes, the answer is as simple as talking to them. It certainly can’t hurt to let a colleague know that being shunted is both unfair and demoralizing. But it can be really tricky when it’s your manager taking all the credit. You’ve seen how this works: The boss sends an email to the CEO congratulating “the team” about a project—when, of course, it’s just a way to get his name out front. How do you handle that?
With care, I guess. You have to pick your battles with management, and some are worth it, and some are not. Some experts say it’s best to keep a list of your accomplishments and have them ready come performance-review time. Is there more to do? Yes, but I’d rather not be a credit hog, so I refer you to a colleague of mine, the very talented Arianne Cohen. She wrote a nice piece for our newsletter, This Week in Leadership, in a story very aptly named “5 Ways to Deal with a Credit Hog.”
Sure, I edited it, but in no way am I taking any credit here!
