When that major project was delivered on time within budget and to the required standard everyone involved was keen to stress their role in achieving success. When the auditors identified the true costs of setting up a call centre and entering a long term contact with an IT provider every one claimed to have counselled against the idea. When office accommodation costs were dramatically reduced by the introduction of hot desking, working from home and managers sharing offices, finance, human resources and IT all claimed credit. When staff threatened industrial action over the introduction of a new “fairer” pay structure the board asked senior management how they had contrived to upset so many people by doing something that was intended to be fairer? You see success has many parents but failure is an orphan. Put another way a success is a triumph for team work, cooperation and partnerships but a failure needs someone to blame. Everyone wants to be associated with success but if you fail you fail alone.
It is a fact of life that your boss will get credit for your work. The most effective response is say how much you appreciated their support to which they will usually respond that they were happy to provide it but really the success was down to you. Getting credit is different to taking credit. In the latter your role is denied or minimised where as in the former credit is shared. Either way you should always write up your success stories. If you don’t tell people who will they know? It will be worth the effort. When it comes to applying for that promotion you will have all the material to support your application and back it up in the interview. Plus it will make you feel good.
Blair McPherson author of Equipping managers for an uncertain future published by www.russellhouse.co.uk