Handling Credit - MAC061

Let's talk about credit.  I'm not talking about the financial mechanisms by which you borrow money from a bank using plastic card.  I'm talking about the type of credit involved when someone receives recognition for work performed.

If we consider our relationship to credit: we can TAKE credit; we can GIVE credit; we can STEAL credit; and we can GIVE AWAY credit.  In today's episode, I'm going to talk about each of these different modes and how they can impact your career advancement.

Taking credit.  When we perform a task, especially if we do it well, we should be proud and take credit for our work by sharing that information with others; especially with our leaders.  Keep a "success diary" of some sort so that you track the things that you do that deserve credit.  Whether small or large, track everything.  Successes with a more localized impact can still be shared within your project team, but successes with a more wide-spread impact should be shared to higher levels of the organization.  Be clear in what was accomplished and your role with bringing it to fruition; just be careful that you don't come across as too braggadocious and share your successes with a level of humility.  By making this a regular occurrence, it keeps your leaders aware of the contributions you make which will help them consider you when new opportunities become available.

Giving credit.  If others were involved in the success,  we move to the next mode, giving credit.  If you are keeping a success diary, include documenting the roles other played in making your activities successful.  When you share YOUR success whether in meetings or emails, mention the others, too.  Most work is done as part of a team and including them in your successes will lead others to reciprocate providing YOU additional recognition with your leaders.

Another aspect of giving credit is when the work of others provides a positive impact to you.  Call out the work of others by leveraging any appreciation tools provided by your company.  By recognizing the work of others, you'll strengthen your relationships and bring others to WANT to work with you.

If you are a leader of a team, pay special attention to Episode 008 - The Five Recognition Languages.  Everyone on your team has a different way that they feel appreciated, so be sure to align giving credit with the form that they prefer.  This will ensure that they feel valued and increase the impact of the recognition.

Stealing credit.  The opposite of giving credit is stealing credit.  Whether intentionally or unintentionally, if you take credit without including others who contributed to the effort, you are stealing credit that they deserve.  Another form of stealing credit is if credit is given to the wrong person.  Where giving credit can build up a team, no matter how the credit is stolen, it can cause a rift within the team and undermines your credibility.

Giving away credit.  The last form of relationship that we have with credit for work performed is when we give away credit.  If you allow someone to steal your credit or you don't speak up when credit for your work is stolen or misappropriated, you are giving away credit.  If you give away your credit by allowing it to be stolen, you run the risk that person gets opportunities ahead of you.

There may be instances where you might wish to give away credit.  An example would be when you have built up significant goodwill but someone else involved in the work has been underappreciated, you may wish to give away your credit to the underappreciated person.  In instances like this, you can strengthen your relationship with them.  And as I covered in Episode 029 - Building a Network, a strong network is one of the most valuable tools for career advancement.

Earlier in the episode, I mentioned keeping a success diary.  If you would like a free template you can use to track YOUR successes, reach out to me via the contact form at the ManagingACareer.com website.  I would be happy to send you one.

Are you looking for a career coach? If you reach out to me via the contact form, I will arrange an introductory session where we can talk about your career goals and how I can help. If we're a good fit, we can schedule regular coaching sessions.