Effective
Engineering
e-Newsletter
– 8/05/2010
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eN-100805:
Stolen Credit –
It’s Not Just About Credit Cards!
By Tom
Dennis – President, Effective Engineering [tdennis@effectiveeng.com]
You’ve
been working hard on a critical project and you need some help in order
to overcome one troublesome obstacle. You’ve successfully completed
more than 95% of the work on your own, and have a plan to complete
almost all of the remaining work, but you just haven’t encountered this
one particular problem before and need some help. So you go to a
co-worker who you know to be knowledgeable about this particular
aspect. You ask for his help and he is quickly able to get this aspect
of the problem solved. You thank him for his great assistance and
continue the remaining work needed to get the project wrapped up and
ready for delivery. When you’re done, you go to your boss to let her
know that this critical project is now complete and ready for release,
including giving credit for the critical help of your co-worker.
But your boss then tells you that your co-worker has already been in to
let her know about the great project he had completed on
his own, and that she has already informed the management
team up to the top ranks of the company about the great work your
co-worker has done, and the rewards that co-worker has coming.
You’re speechless and attempt to explain to your boss that you’ve
done all the work except for the one small part your co-worker
contributed, but your boss looks at you like you’ve got two heads,
questioning why you want to claim credit for the work your co-worker has
clearly claimed as his own. Unbelievable!
It would never even occur to you to claim the work of others as your
own, as you always go out of your way to give credit to anyone
else who has contributed to the efforts to complete a project you’re
involved in. The thought that someone would claim your work as their
own is almost incomprehensible to you, but there it is. You’re not
looking for any special accolades or hosannas or special rewards for
your work, but someone else taking credit for what you’ve labored hard
to accomplish is beyond the pale. And your boss doesn’t want to hear
about anything to change her perception since she’s already presented
your work as that of another person, and in glowing terms, and now it
would be embarrassing for her to admit to all she communicated with that
she got it wrong (see also
eN-070208 – Embarrassment Rules The World?). So what can
you do?
First, confront the coworker claiming credit for your work and ask him
why he is claiming credit for work he clearly did not do (see also
eN-091008 – Self-Destructive Behavior). Ask him to clarify
with your boss what he did versus what you did. If this person has any
honor, he will own up to his fabrications and make it clear to your boss
that you did virtually all of the work and he contributed one small part
of that work (see also
eN-070906 – Show True Professionalism!). This may be
embarrassing for him (see also
eN-071206 – You Reap What You Sow!), but it is the right
thing to do. Your boss should then be willing to set the record
straight with those in her chain of command. Ask that she do that.
If this person is without honor you have more work to do. Let him know
you will not allow this to stand as your honor and reputation has been
unfairly impugned! Document the evidence of the work you performed,
particularly all the work done before your coworker was even involved,
but also work you did after your coworker’s contributions were
completed. Use data from your personal files and from public files.
Identify specific information that is essential for the project and is
known only to you. Specific file names and dates with only your name
associated or other information that clearly indicates when you
performed the work will help tell the tale. Just report the facts and
let these facts demonstrate the truth of your position and the
falsehoods of your coworker’s (see also
eN-090903 – Pound the Facts, Not the Table).
Next, let other coworkers know what has been done by this
credit-stealing lowlife, and his unwillingness to let the truth be
known, and ask for corroboration from these other coworkers who are
aware that you did all but one aspect of this work. This may be from
coworkers who were deeply involved in other aspects of the project and
well aware of the work you did (e.g. from coworkers who were assigned to
test your work throughout the process of the project, and who may have
documented evidence of their own), or from coworkers who were simply
aware of the work you were doing due to proximity and discussions you
had with them. Ask them if they would be willing to stand with you in
front of your boss, and if they would be willing to document their
information in writing.
Then, go back to your boss with the corroborating evidence, the
supporting resources, and other proof to convince her of the
misstatements of your credit-stealing coworker. Make it clear that you
are pursuing this as a matter of honor and for giving credit where
credit is due. If your boss responds positively, then you are done and
let her proceed.
If your boss is not responsive, then you need to think carefully about
how or whether to proceed further. You can go to your boss’ boss, but
what are the costs versus the benefits, or the risks versus the rewards
of going around your boss? If you do, you’ll embarrass the person who
you will in all likelihood still be reporting to. What will this do to
your working relationship? What will this do to future performance
reviews and raises? Is it worth it? Think through the consequences
carefully. [See also
eN-040205 – Mis-Managers: How Bad Managers Can Poison the Well!]
A more insidious and unfortunately more common form of stolen credit is
the case where a boss (or the boss’ boss) takes credit for the work of
one more of his/her subordinates without acknowledging their efforts and
contributions. The boss may even get personally rewarded (perhaps with
a promotion, bonus, or other prestige) for others’ work, and those above
the boss giving such rewards may never even be aware of the
subordinates’ work. Such behavior is shameful, but not uncommon (see
also
eN-040429 – The Credit Taker / Thief Manager).
If subordinate(s) become aware of such management stolen credit, then
before acting impulsively and raising a ruckus, they need to very
carefully think through the consequences. If it will not really change
things substantially to the good, it may be best to just suck it
up and deal with it. Consider it a real-world lesson learned, and
recognize that some of the bosses cannot be trusted (see also
eN-080207 – Trust Me, I’m Not Like The Others!). Formally
raising the issue may be embarrassing to much of the management team;
not generally conducive to long-term employment. Informally going to a
trusted member of the management team with the information may at least
let the truth be known, but this still comes with substantial risk.
How stolen credit is regarded in your company is really a
function of the company culture and rules of corporate life (formal or
informal) instilled by the management team, and the code of honor
(hopefully) that management and employees promote and live by every
day. Still, regardless of the circumstances, stolen credit
should be unacceptable and should not be tolerated anywhere in the
company!
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