Sticky situation

BLR_CKilbourne

The following scenario and advice was offered by Betsy Larsen, who is interested in what her HR colleagues think about this: 

 

You had a good idea, so
you offered it to your boss.  It was either scoffed at or ignored or simply not
implemented.  Weeks or months later it is clear that your idea
has miraculously surfaced as your boss's idea. 

 

What to do?  Is it best
to take the high road and let the boss take the credit, knowing your good idea
is being implemented regardless of who gets credit for it?  Or do you take your
boss aside, and mention that the idea he just threw out there was really your
idea that you mentioned to him previously? 

 

If he truly doesn't
remember that it was your idea, he'll be angry and think that you're trying
to take credit for his idea!  If he does remember, he'll be angry that
you embarrassed him by pointing out his gaffe.  Plus, it's likely that he will
lose interest in the idea that is no longer his, and it will never be
implemented.  Best course of action is to accept the fact that your idea really
WAS listenend to and implemented, and leave it at that.  Sometimes an idea just
has to be chewed on for awhile before it is ready for prime time.  During that
process, its origins were forgotten.

 

Betsy is curious to hear other's thoughts and experiences with this issue. 

Chesapeake

My initial response is to let this go but if it becomes a pattern of behavior you will need to address it. For the record,  give yourself credit on your annual performance review for your great idea which was recognized by your manager as such and are proud to see your suggestion was implemented by your manager. 

HRPOB

I would be inclined to just let it go. There is nothing to be gained by either embarassing, or showing up your boss. You know it was your idea.

TXHRGuy

The situation is too context sensitive to give any one answer.

The relationship between you and your boss in simple power terms matters.  Are you the administrator?  The manager?  The VP?  Is your boss the manager, the director, the CEO?  Am I a generalist/administrator reporting to an office manager  who reports to the CFO of a small to medium sized company?  Am I the VP of HR reporting to the CEO having my thunder stolen by the CFO, who isn't my boss but acts like it anyway?

The role of HR in the company is also critical. Am I a director with all other departmental leaders being VPs?  Is HR powerful or is it advisory?

The relationship between you and your boss in social terms is also important.  Friends?  Cordial?  Hostile?  Mentor?  Competitors?

The relative value of the idea to the company is important.  Is the idea related to something important and high profile or something small and relatively unimportant?

How far off are performance appraisals?  [A]

HRforME

TXHRGuy....very well said. I started to post my opinion earlier
today, but erased it before I was even finished.  You said it so
much better than I could have. Can I just copy your answer?

 

*Ü* 

hr_gmc

While TXHRGuy is correct (as usual), I would have to give one piece of crucial advice that has saved my job, my career, and my marriage.

 

You fight the fights that are worth fighting! Is this your brain child for several years that will save the company billions of dollars and revolutionize the industry? Or is it just changing over to the Swingline stapler because it jams less? Just how important is this?

Mandi7882

I have to put my two-cents in on this. I'm not an HR guru but have been assigned HR management tasks in major companies.

 

This is the story of many employees lives in the Corporate structure. It's a blow when this happens, and your first reaction is to do -- SOMETHING. High road or not - how would you feel sitting at your desk everyday watching someone else take credit for your idea? And contrary to what many people have written so far, you should do something. Here's what I've learned after years of expereince. Know that this is something that will always happen --- so you must start to strategically make sure that if you feel an idea is good enough to warrant you credit/future performance review notification - never say anything. Always write, date and document.

I never give out any idea to anyone in any  company at any time without proposing it, dating it and documenting it. This way, there is no question as to where the initial idea came from -- and when.  This is also good for ideas that you think are original, and later discover that upper managment may have been working on it for quite sometime, but you - who may not be privy to what upper-management does - think your idea was "stolen".

If you present the idea in written form,  your boss adopts the idea and upper management recognizes it, this helps you in being recognized for having displayed critical skills upper management may take notice of. This is of course assuming that the work environment is a perfect world - which we know is not. And one thing I do agree with is your releationship with your boss. Let me also advise not to go over your bosses head to his/her boss to present an idea for you may not know what kind of relationship they have - and how they see the protocol of the company. You may just commit career sucicide on that kind of strategy.

TXHRGuy

That's a good point, Mandi.  Personally, I tend to present my ideas in formal proposals.  Every so often you end up in a brain storming session and you blurt something out in the heat of creative inspiration.    In that case, be the person to send a recap email out of who did what or a note that "clarifies and extends some of my thoughts on the idea I brought up today in our meeting."