Awesome Comebacks When Your Boss Takes Credit for Your Work

You’ve been working on that presentation day in and day out. After all those late-nights and weekend shifts, you’re finally all set to impress clients and the biggies of your company. And, guess what?

Out of the blue, your manager wants to see you. All of a sudden, he feels that you’re not ready for the big presentation. Just a day before, it occurs to him that the presentation lacks some important points and he has to make some revisions to it.

On the big day, he delivers your presentation word by word without any change. Everyone loved it and he ends up hogging all the limelight and taking all the credit for it.

It’s not the first time that a senior has taken credit for the hard work put by his subordinate. The glory-hog syndrome is happening in almost every second office yet no one’s talking about it. It isn’t sad but also disappointing when bosses steal moments of glory from their juniors.

If your boss is also taking credit for your ideas and hard work, this article is for you and here’s what you can do about it:

Evaluate the situation

Just for a second, put all the angst on one side and be non-judgmental. If not proved, such allegations could land you in trouble and stain your reputation.

What if this a case of miscommunication or you are expecting too much from him. Give him the benefit of doubt for the first time. However, if the pattern continues, it’s time to move to the next point.

Talk to others

Maybe you aren’t the only one who’s not being given due credit for his/her work. If your manager is stealing your credit, he might be doing it to others as well. Start addressing the issue to team members and seniors you can trust, being a little careful at the same time.

Talk to your mentor, if you have one. Senior level employees can provide support and direction as they are more familiar with the corporate culture and company policies.

Have an open conversation

Acknowledgment and recognition for a job-well-done are as important as monetary rewards. You might like to let it go for a minor idea, but if this is becoming a regular thing, you might have to pick your battles.

Have a one-on-one conversation with him. Tell him that you feel that you don’t always get recognition for your efforts but in a non-accusatory way. Be careful with your language, it should be respectful, assertive, and professional.

Here are a few comebacks to use when you’re in the moment.

1. During meetings — “I’m glad you all liked how the report turned out! Both John (boss) and I have worked very hard to put it together.” The next time he doesn’t tell others about your involvement, wait for the right moment and shoot the above sentence. It intends to give the right message — both to the boss and team members.
2. During one-on-one meeting — “John, there’s something that’s going on in my mind from quite some time. I really enjoyed working on the last project and glad that it ended on a successful note. But I’ve noticed that my name is often left out of the discussion. Is there a specific reason for that because I would love to be a part of more such projects in the future.”

Focus more on work and less on management. Start using ProofHub.

It could be intimidating to initiate this conversation but avoiding it isn’t going to do any good to you. It’s tricky but important, so be upfront about it.

However, if you don’t find the situation getting any better, don’t hesitate to look for a new boss or a new job with a better boss — the one that is secure, self-assured, and is happy to put you into the spotlight.

Do you have similar incidents to share? Tell us about them in the comments.

Author Bio:

Sandeep Kashyap is the Founder and CEO of ProofHub — a leading project management and collaboration software. He’s one person always on a lookout for innovative ideas about filling the communication gap between groups, teams, and organizations. You’ll find him saying, “Let’s go!” instead of “Go!” many times a day. That’s what makes him write about leadership in a way people are inspired to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more.