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Feminism: Sex & gender discussions

should I let my boss/colleagues take the credit?

7 replies

zenamm · 03/02/2013 13:47

6 months ago my immediate boss had a meeting with me to ask me how to improve our staff in procedures and knowledge of practices. I suggested a handbook to my boss and researched and developed this handbook (a large part of which was taken from another department who had already done a lot of work on the subject - I got approval to use it because otherwise it would be reinventing the wheel) I amended the contents to fit our structure, add chapters specific to our work including troubleshooting etc and forwarded it to training dept who basically added 2 -3 pages out of 60 and had it printed and circulated.

My bosses boss personally thanked training dept (at a meeting I was also at) highlighting how comprehensive it was specifically the chapters that I had written and stated she was sending it up the chain for wider publication etc. (unaware I developed / wrote it seemingly).

I overheard my male boss stating it was for wider departments but he was taking the credit for it. He wanted procedures improved and as such started the ball rolling therefore it is obviously to his credit but basically my contribution (ie the idea and grunt work) has been totally overlooked - not sure how much my boss thinks I did compared to training dept - dont think my bosses boss is aware it was my idea and work.

Normally I do thinks to help my colleagues not for the glory but as a part time worker I go all out to prove my capabilities and after a comment from my bosses boss I am concerned for my position. How can I get some acknowledgement for my contribution without 1. sounding disgruntled 2. pissing off my boss who seems to have convinced himself it is his idea in the first place? NB I do have a performance review which I can put it in but it does not go beyond my boss.

Any advice would be welcome...

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SplitHeadGirl · 03/02/2013 14:03

I would definitely try to make people aware of your hard work here. I had a boss like that...he would take the credit for things that were good, but if HE did something wrong he would quickly pass the buck. He earned himself the nickname 'Bucky' as a result.

Do you have internal email where you could send out an email suggesting that as it is your work, if there are any adaptations/follow ups etc. to be made, then you will be happy to do that?? I know boss got the ball rolling so maybe offer to run a presentation to staff with him, going over the handbook, so that they and he make no mistake it is your baby.

Put it in your review, for sure. Is there anyway you could get your name attached to the handbook itself??

Don't hide your light under a bushel.

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zenamm · 03/02/2013 14:13

No-ones name is on the handbook and my boss would not have been expected to write it just see that it is done, I just wonder if everyone thinks training did most of it at his instigation.

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tribpot · 03/02/2013 14:20

I think I'd be tempted to seek out your boss' boss and let her know that you'd be more than happy to walk any other department that wanted to adapt it for their own needs through your processes - explaining this would save them the leg work that you'd been through when you started the work off. Mention specifically that you needed to write chapters [x], [y] or [z] from scratch and perhaps with an idea of how another department could do tackle that.

I think I'd claim you had 'worked on the idea' with your boss (effectively he did authorise you to spend the time on it even if that's actually all he did!) as the intention here is not to do him down but big yourself up.

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complexnumber · 04/02/2013 14:20

Where, and how, in your attempt to to get recognition for your work are you planning on giving credit to the department who originally had the idea and enabled you not to reinvent the wheel?

If I was the one who wrote the initial handbook I would not be impressed by someone I had helped who said they'd be "more than happy to walk any other department that wanted to adapt it for their own needs through your processes - explaining this would save them the leg work that you'd been through when you started the work off."

I would also not be impressed at a handbook that was so hopeless it needed explaining in a meeting. If the handbook isn't self-explanatory it's not fit for purpose and the meeting is to provide a look at me moment I would resent the waste of my time.

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zenamm · 04/02/2013 18:34

I passed it to Training who stated they spoke to the initial department and it was their (training dept) decision to use the material, that there was no problem with us using some of the material to help other departments, I was not aware it would be passed on up for recognition and do feel uncomfortable with it. I have in fact put it in detail in my performance review, stating the idea and framework came from another department and mentioning those who helped me with it. My boss instigated the initiative stating he wanted procedures improved and I do not really have an issue with that, my issue is that when my position is under threat of being potentially dissolved all the work I did has been overlooked or possibly my bosses boss is unaware of my part in it. Normally I would not be chasing recognition at all but in these times I would be foolish to sit back and do nothing.

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kickassangel · 06/02/2013 19:27

could you email the boss's boss, saying that you were in the meeting where she mentioned it, then give a brief overview of who did which bit, suggesting that if there are any questions etc she would then know who to direct questions at? Then you can credit everyone, not just yourself, look helpful and have credited the original writers of the first handbook.

If you cc your immediate boss, then you aren't going behind his back. Acknowledging that he instigated the process would be a good idea as well.

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EmmelineGoulden · 07/02/2013 09:14

I think Kissangel's approach is a good work related route. You could even make it more formal suggesting, now the manual is being used in a wider role than you had originally anticipated, it could probably do with a amendments page. Because as changes are made it is really useful to know who made them and what they changed. Then you can credit the other department and yourself in a way that will stay with the manual in a useful way.

But you might also want to think about chasing recognition in a more aggressive way. Identify how the experience you gained could be useful to other projects (or jobs) that you like and put yourself forward for them now using the handbook as your springboard. You need to do this before everyone forgets it hasn't always been there. You then frame your requesting the project/job in terms of building on things you've done. Even if you don't get the work you get a chance to talk to people about the fact you worked on the handbook (hopefully amoung many other successful projects).

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