Having your ideas stolen or not getting proper credit for your work brings on a terrible and sadly common feeling. It puts you in an awkward spot because you deserve the recognition or reward, but don’t want to come off as weak, defensive, or needy when trying to correct and reclaim what was yours. It’s frustrating. Fortunately, a former lawyer and career expert has a great solution.
On social media, former attorney and business professional Dr. Shadé Zahrai shared a way to reclaim your idea with poise. It’s a great option for those times when you share an idea with a group that gets mostly ignored…until someone else gets the credit for repeating it.
How to reclaim credit for your idea and work
First, she recommends “building forward” in the conversation. This means you continue going with the flow of the conversation, building onto it and transitioning while re-anchoring the idea to you without sounding territorial.
Next, Zahrai recommends becoming curious. Simply asking the person who took your idea where they came up with it allows them the opportunity to naturally return credit to you without being confrontational. It also provides space for them to add input or ideas onto your own. As a bonus, asking these types of questions can help others who have been overshadowed reclaim credit.
Examples of how it can work for you
Let’s say that colleague or friend, whether intentionally or not, repeated your idea. Let’s call that person “Hank.” Examples of Zahrai’s technique could look something like:
– “Hank, it’s great to see we’re aligned with what I shared earlier. Maybe in addition we could…”
– “You know, Hank, that’s what I brought up before and I’m glad we’re thinking alike. How about this…”
– “That’s like I was saying earlier, Hank, what drew you to the same conclusion? Perhaps we can..”
– “Great suggestion, Hank! That’s what I was saying before. Where did you come around to that idea? Maybe a way to extend that is…”
– “Thank you, Hank, this is what I was talking about last week. Since you’re down for that, maybe we should..”
– “Good thought, Hank. It sounds like what Lilith was talking about earlier. We could add to her idea by…”
It’s a good method to get the credit you deserve without causing conflict. After all, the “Hank” in your situation could have accidentally taken your idea or unintentionally left you out. Plus, the focus on the conversation is now on your idea rather than you having the idea.
Other things to consider
It’s also important to take a step back to see if your idea is actually stolen. For example, if your boss is taking credit for an idea you had, it may be smarter to let it go, especially if the idea was formed during a think-tank session at work. There may also be a clause in your job contract stating that any idea made at work is the company’s anyway, so you wouldn’t be credited in the first place.
That said, there are ways to make your mark on your idea and possibly avoid the awkward credit conversation entirely. If you had the idea before a meeting or any form of public announcement, document it in some way via an email, written presentation, or other work with your name on it. Another way is to lead with your idea in conversation, and follow it up with execution methods that include your colleagues or friends.
This means an idea like “Let’s order pizza from Franco’s” could be “Here’s my idea. Let’s order pizza from Franco’s. I have a coupon we can use, it’s near Aaron’s apartment, and it has gluten-free options for Linda.” The more specific and detailed the idea, the more likely others will remember that the idea was yours.
A good idea is a good idea, and acknowledging your involvement matters.
