Jul 18

Jul 18 On Colleagues Taking Credit for Your Work

I thought we outgrew schoolyard politics? I guess not because colleagues (or bosses!) taking credit for your work is still a thing.

I had a colleague who had a pattern of behaviour of taking credit for my work. Or rather, our collaborative work. Like where I did 90% of it.

This was in a very fast-paced environment where we rarely had time to talk about, and be praised on, completed work. So those moments when praise did come were golden.

My colleague could easily have shared praise – “oh yes, and thanks to Darcie too, who did X, Y, Z” – but that didn’t happen. On good days, I found this annoying, on bad days, I found this completely intolerable.

Establishing your worth is an important part of your journey up the corporate ladder. Credit, praise, and rewards, are also tied with motivation levels in the workplace. On the flip side, employees who constantly seek credit can look self-centered or aggressive.

What’s going on here? Why would someone take credit for another’s work anyway? Today on Sassonomics: taking a look at why other people dare to take credit for your work.

Why Do My Colleagues Take Credit for My Work?

Territorialism

There is a possibility that your colleague feels you are working in their area and are feeling territorial about it. Territoriality is attitudes or behaviours of someone who perceives that they have control over an idea, object, or even physical space. Even if this ‘ownership’ over, in this case, an idea is imaginary, or that they only sometimes dabble in this area, is enough to form a feeling of territoriality in some people. This is MY project, and you’re just helping me. Territoriality can also be tied to one’s identity – this is MY thing, get your own area of expertise. Someone else coming in and operating in this realm could feel like a threat or even a loss. And as we all know, losses hurt more than gains feel good.

But guess what, work is a team sport (for me, at least, and probably most of you). And my colleague is often the one asking me for help. And plus I’m a good sport and want to be helpful. If you’re like me, there’s no time for this kind of territorial behaviour and taking credit for other peoples’ work is, in sum, not cool.

Low Self-Esteem

Your colleague might be taking credit for your work because they are threatened or have low self-esteem. This might lead to your successful actions being perceived as a threat to them. Think about it for a second – confident colleagues don’t have the same visceral need for constant praise and reassurance. Employees with self-esteem issues are identified by passive aggressive, defensive or aggressive behaviours. Is this a pattern for your colleague? They might have low self-esteem.

Whether or not we like to admit it, we do need praise and credit to feel motivated at work, and your colleague stealing your thunder is highly demotivating. Reach for those clear delineations of responsibilities, and role model good credit-giving by praising your colleague on their stuff, but keeping yours separate. Even in collaborative group-work settings, there’s always ways to divide and conquer. Try to find the right balance.

Why Am I Reacting This Way?

It’s important to look inwards why someone taking credit for your work is bothersome. Do you consistently feel undervalued at work, regardless of this colleague’s actions? Are you mounting a case for a promotion and credit is important to that story? Are you not paid what you’re worth? Understanding the root of your discomfort can help you better formulate a response that feels meaningful to you.

Some Tips

Push for role clarity. Ask for clear delineation of tasks, and then confirm them in emails.
Interject – but only when appropriate. Say something like, “oh yes, let me know if you have questions on slides 1 through 100 since I put them together”. But be careful, too much of this might get you labelled as having a bad attitude and not a team player.
Have a quiet conversation. You colleague might react badly if you bring this issue up in front of everyone. Mention it to them how you find it frustrating, or a quiet word with the boss.
Don’t ever act out of anger. This will totally backfire because it’s less acceptable in the workplace than credit-stealing. Take some time to calm down.
Document, document, document. Make sure the paper trail is really clear about who did what.