Managing Leadership^®

Failure to achieve recognition for your own genuine contributions is a real problem that can have real consequences in your career. Moreover, if the problem is systemic in the workplace, it will have real - and negative - consequences for your bosses in general productivity and loyalty, as well. But that’s their problem. Let’s talk about yours:

The problem can arise for three reasons. First, as mentioned, it can be a systemic part of the organization’s culture, a true “every man for himself” environment where no one gets credit, but rather attempts to poach credit for the work of others. In such a case, don’t bother with attempting to be recognized for your work - just try to get out of there with your reputation and career intact, and find a better place to work.

Second, it could be an unintentional oversight or misunderstanding. This happens. The problem is that when it happens to us, we usually are tempted to see more malign forces at play than mere coincidence. This is usually a misperception, but it can create very real problems in your relationship with your managers and peers.

Steel yourself to avoid a persecution complex, and steer clear of the natural tendency to generate conspiracy theories to explain it. I’ve seen both of these pop up and become intractable problems over issues as trivial as parking space or cubicle assignments. Don’t fall into this trap; you already have a problem in not attracting the recognition you deserve - don’t create additional (and, very possibly, worse) ones out of thin air.

In this case, try to find a neutral way to “sign” your work. If it’s a slide show or report, put “Prepared by . . .” or even just your name in a footer so that it appears on every page. If it’s the result of brainstorming at meetings, driving a project, or just a verbal proposal you make to your boss, back up all steps with memorandums for the record (MFR) for your files and with copies to all participants in any meetings and to your reporting senior.

This a highly professional step to take in its own right, and one in which you can solidify progress made, decisions taken, and promises made by all parties. As a result, doing this alone burnishes your reputation. But it also does two additional things of interest:

1. It establishes your right to recognition in a public way that cannot be disputed, and
2. It quietly lets it be known to both your peers and managers that there will be no poaching allowed of that recognition.

Finally, the failure to be accorded deserved recognition really could be personal. It could be a problem between you and one or more of your peers or your boss or project manager. In this case the issue isn’t one of malicious or simply inattentive management - it is a relationship problem. Consequently, pushing the recognition issue will only make your real problem worse.

Take the time to carefully assess the situation from this perspective. Ask trusted peers (or managers) what they think. Be tough on yourself here, because if this indeed is the problem, solving it will pay untold dividends for your career - not to mention allowing you to get recognition for it.

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Today’s tip: Please pay a visit to Cam Beck’s piece, 5 Reasons to Shut Off your Computer, for an excellent discussion of the importance of personal contact in business relationships and communication. (Disclosure: there is a kind reference in this post to one of mine, but I make the recommendation for the inherent value of this article which, as one of its commenters noted, everyone should read (including you).)

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