How to talk to your boss about their taking credit for your work?

Speak truth to power! Tilt the power imbalance between your boss and you with 3 assertive communication strategies when the take credit for your work:

1. The key to this type of conversation is not coming across as owed, resentful, or a victim – ASK WHAT YOU WANT CHANGED.
2. Frame your ask in terms of support to achieve win-win. Point out that you put in X hours with its ideation, creation & development and ask to be publicly acknowledged so you can build your career and support the boss’s (it’s OK to acknowledge the power imbalance).
3. The path of “proving” your idea was stolen can be arduous for 2 reasons: (1) Due to your boss’s access to organizational knowledge, it’s likely they’ve improved upon your work and felt entitled to the creation; and (2) a truly malicious boss will have been “smart enough” to not engage in blatant plagiarism. So should you always speak truth to power? Due to the power imbalance, that’s a personal choice.

SEE ALSO:

How to address your boss taking credit for your work?

How to communicate more effectively with your boss?

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