Letting Your Boss Take Credit for Your Ideas Is a Power Move
By: Jessica Powell
Tags: Management, Work, Power, Initiative, Succeed

My boss is always taking credit for my work, and it drives me crazy. What can I do?

Let’s start with what may seem like a counterintuitive question: Is this actually bad for you?

Yes, it’s infuriating to see your work “stolen,” but there can be good reasons for the theft, and sometimes it could even be good for you.

First, in a lot of jobs, and in both good and bad ways, your manager’s opinion counts more than anyone else’s in terms of your career trajectory. So, while it’s always good to have everyone singing your praises, the person you most need to make happy is your boss. You might be bummed that your project got sent on to the CEO without your name on it, but it’s important to remember that your immediate boss thought your work was good enough to send up the chain. You benefit — at least in terms of job security — from making your boss look good.

Second, it’s dumb and hierarchical, but it is totally the case that there are sucky people in any company who will not open or respond constructively to an email if it’s not coming from a particular level of seniority. Those people are the worst! But they definitely exist. Your manager may be copy/pasting your work wholesale for this very reason, sending on what you’ve written or done as a way to 1) ensure it’s read and taken seriously, and 2) show that the idea has management backing.

But okay, what if you’ve looked at all of this rationally and decided there is no good reason for your manager to take credit for your work? How do you put a stop to this boorish, ego-driven behavior?

When it comes to most work issues, honesty is generally the best policy, whether you’re the manager or the employee. But I think most managers — even the best ones — will get pretty defensive if called out on being, well, an egomaniac. That said, if you have a great relationship with your boss and feel you can address this gently, then go for it. But ask about it the right way.

If you have a good business reason for why you need to be the person who presents something, you should be able to easily articulate that.

Try to explain the problem as it relates to larger business or work goals: “I’ve noticed that you sent my project on to Karim with no acknowledgement of the work I did. I’m sure there was a good reason for that, but I’m really trying to work on my relationship with Karim and his department because [insert business reason]. It’d be helpful for me if you could include me when you send my ideas on to him.”

Then pump the manager for other ideas on how they can help you with Karim. Even if they don’t have a suggestion in the moment, you’ve highlighted the problem in a nonconfrontational way. Even better, you’re stroking their ego by asking for advice. What manager doesn’t love to pontificate and advise?

Alternatively, you can take an indirect route to address the issue. If you generally like your boss and don’t want to make waves, there are various nonconfrontational ways to do this, like providing anonymous feedback via an annual manager survey. Approaching your HR partner might also work. Be diplomatic in how you do it, though, knowing that what you say could make it back to your boss in many different forms. But if you frame the conversation as you asking the HR person for advice versus being a tattletale, your comments are more likely to make it back to your boss in a constructive way.

Finally, a word to any managers reading this: If you’re a credit-taker and believe there’s a strong business reason to be one, then fine. But be inclusive and smart in how you share your team’s work. Copy on email the team members who contributed to the idea, or sign the email on behalf of everyone. It shows your team that you are giving credit where it’s due and helps elevate their importance in the eyes of the execs.

If you really do have a good business reason for why you need to be the person who presents something, you should be able to easily articulate that to your team, which will help mitigate any resentment.

And it’s worth remembering that there’s a value for you in spreading the credit around whenever you can. Elevating your team is a good thing for you, too. The more your individual team members are taken seriously, the stronger your team will be perceived to be — which ultimately reflects positively on your leadership skills.

If you do this right, over time, you’ll be able to delegate more work to your team, which will free you up to do the most important things — like indulging in building your “personal brand,” practicing your next TEDx Talk, and wasting time on all those “thought leadership” speeches you love to give at conferences!