It's not uncommon for a coworker to take credit for someone else's great work, but when you are on the receiving end - it can be infuriating, wrong, and unfair. You may want to respond out of anger or you may find it difficult to speak up for fear of pointing fingers or calling out your colleague. However, if someone takes credit for your work, you want to set the record straight as soon as possible.
If you let the moment pass, you're allowing your coworker to take all the praise. You worked late, probably worked more hours than your other colleagues to get the project done and you deserve to toot your own horn.
So how do you protect yourself from someone taking credit for your work?
Document everything - Whether it is having a notebook, emails, or audio recordings - create a record of all the work you have done, the persons involved in the project, and the scope of work for each individual.
Leadership awareness - A big one is to keep leadership updated on your work, preferably by email. This could be a progress update or even asking a question for guidance on the project and giving a quick preview of what you have done and plan to do. This is also a great strategy to show leadership what you are capable of and can provide career growth opportunities.
Talk about your work. In meetings, hallway topics, and wherever opportunities arise. Get comfortable sharing work that you are doing and brand yourself as the subject matter expert for others to reach out to you on similar tasks or projects. Talking about your work sets you up for long-term career success when the time comes for job interviews, presentations, and overall communication and confidence in you.
Thank you for reading and if you found this article helpful, I would appreciate it if you could share with your network by clicking the "..." at the top of this page.
With love and appreciation
Shanta Strachan
Career Coach & Strategist
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