Beth Keserauskis

It’s really not about getting credit

I had a very disheartening experience recently, that I managed to turn into an opportunity to improve my own skills as a manager and leader. In the interest of privacy, the general scenario is that a group of people were discussing an issue. I suggested a plan of action, which the group agreed with and ultimately the situation worked out based on that suggested path. Several days later I discover that certain individuals were claiming credit for my idea—I can only assume because it was successful and made us look good.

So my first reaction was anger and indignation. How dare they claim credit for my idea? Then I realized I don’t really care about getting credit if the overall group moves forward as a result. But I certainly lost a lot of faith in my fellow group members—how could they possibly have the best interest of the whole at heart when they were so willing to claim credit at the expense of others?

So my take away from this situation is first to manage my expectations for this group and stop expecting something I am never going to receive. Second, I realized that to be a better manager of my staff and a leader of our group, I needed to make sure that my staff feels empowered to make great suggestions knowing that I will praise them and give them credit for their great ideas and hard work. To me, that will inspire loyalty and maybe even inspire folks to achieve even greater things than they or I imagined possible.

Then I think about how an organization is managing its relationships with people—are we elevating our coworkers, target audiences, customers, etc? Or are we belittling their thoughts and opinions? Are we engaging in an honest, thoughtful, genuine dialogue? Or are we paying them lip service to better ourselves?

To me it’s clear which path will win in the long run.

October 31, 2009 - Posted by Elizabeth Keserauskis | leadership, marketing, relationships | leadership, personal, relationships