Credit Where Due

We’ve all spent countless hours on a project and then received no credit, or even worse, no feedback. You may then hear that a meeting was convened to which you were not invited or a senior colleague praised the work of your manager, not realizing you did actually did the work. It is painful but early in your career you may have to accept it. There are good managers out there who will not take all the credit and who will include you in subsequent discussions. But they are hard to find. It doesn’t have to remain this way. If you’ve been in a job for a year and proven yourself time and again, it might be time to say something. Ask (in person) to be included on follow-up correspondence. Ask (in person) to be part of the meeting. It may take your manager by surprise but what’s the worst that could happen? It may actually work out. Perhaps your manager has just gotten used to doing things that way and needs a gentle reminder. If you’re looking for feedback, you also must ask (in person). It could be as simple as: “I’m trying to improve my business writing. Can you provide feedback on my work whenever possible?” As you can tell, I highly recommend doing this in person and not over email. Emails can be dangerously misunderstood. More on that subject in a future post.

How have you handled situations where you do not get feedback or credit?