When someone steals your idea, it feels awful! We’ve all dealt with colleagues taking credit for others’ work in the workplace. Maybe your boss takes the credit, or the credit grabber takes all the credit by stealing ideas from you.
I’m Dr Suzanne Doyle-Morris, founder of Inclusiq, and I’ll help you deal with those taking credit for others’ work – it’s one of the common workplace challenges in male-dominated fields. Clients often come to me with an issue about their boss, or another co-worker, taking credit for their work. This video explains how to deal with someone taking credit for your work and how to get credit for your own idea.
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Struggling With People Stealing Your Ideas?
If you are somebody who has had your ideas stolen, then you are in the right place. Today, we’re gonna learn how to prevent it from happening and how to react when it does.
So let’s start with a humbling truth: your idea is not your genius alone. Far before it’s stolen, any idea that’s brought to the table is merely a seed. Sometimes people forget who mentioned a particular seed; it’s often an unintended oversight, but sometimes it’s not.
Let’s start at the basics. If this routinely happens to you, well, the first thing to do is not to suffer in silence. If you let this happen and don’t say anything, over time you will become a worked-up ball of resentment and rage ready to snap, which – take it from me – is never a good look. Instead, thank the person in the meeting by saying something like: “John, I really like the way you built on my idea from a few minutes earlier, and I’d love to work with you on it.” That reminds people that you are collaborative, but that it’s largely your seed of an idea to start. It also sends a message to John that you are someone who recognizes what he’s done. Remember, when this happens, you are often not alone – this is literally one of the most common questions I get asked.
No More Stolen Ideas
So the second thing to do, besides mentioning it when it does happen, is to become better at crediting other people when you see their ideas get appropriated. It’s actually a very common thing to happen to people, in particular to women of colour. Their ideas often get credited to other people in the office. But there are a couple of ways to respond when you see it happening to others that can actually benefit you as well!
A good way to support someone is to say: “I really like the way John’s taken Janelle’s idea from our last meeting and worked with it. Have you two been working on it together since we were last together?” Well, that does two things. First, it shows Janelle that you’ve noticed what just happened and that you’ve got her back. Which is great for Janelle’s morale, because at times she probably feels just like you do: overlooked. This also might make Janelle an ally of yours in the future. Secondly, it sends a shot across the bow to the Johns of the world. It shows that his (perhaps sneaky move) was seen by other people, so he should be careful about claiming ideas as his own.
Credit Where Credit is Due
So if you’ve been watching this far, then this has probably happened to you. In the comments below, I’d love to hear how you handled it when someone did take your idea.
We’re gonna finish with my last secret stealth tip! My lemon-scented technique to prevent an idea being stolen in the first place: get support from a key ally before you go into the meeting. Share your idea with them so that you can help back your claim.
Then at the meeting, you’ve got one of two options: you can ask your colleague to mention it by saying something like: “Well, you know, Wendy and I were talking about this a few days ago, and she brought up a really interesting point that we want to discuss with everyone”; or, secondly, you can raise it yourself at the meeting by saying something like: “Well, I was talking with Mark about this the other day, and he helped me see a few new angles on an idea I had, and we thought that’d be great to discuss with the larger group.” That way, it’s confirmed to everyone that it started with you, but also shows your willingness to collaborate and hear other people’s priorities. And your ally, good old Mark, gets some of the credit too for shaping your thinking. So everyone’s a winner!
Next Steps?
If you’re ready for your next career challenge, get my free download, “How to Get a Promotion in Eight Steps.” It is jam-packed full of tips that are gonna help you secure that top job that you are aiming for.
If you’ve ever stood up to an office idea stealer, please tell us how that went! I truly hope that this was useful. An remember: no one ever cares about your career as much as you do.
Tired of co-workers taking credit for your ideas? Here are some strategies to combat that, such as acknowledging the collaborative nature of ideas, crediting others for their contributions, and seeking support from allies to ensure proper attribution during public discussions.
