To be pissed off that someone else has got credit for my work

[treetops46]

So last week, I cancelled my days off and worked all hours on a presentation that I was leading with my boss today.

I wrote the entire presentation, developed the strategy, designed it - literally everything, because it had to be done so quickly and we are all busy so I just took it on the chin and made it happen.

There is a (wonderful and lovely) more junior team member who proofed the deck and is usually part of this team but was too busy to help last week. This week she is off sick so couldn't attend the presentation either.

We just did the presentation (my boss and me) and it went brilliantly. The clients said numerous times how much they loved the deck and the ideas, I was so happy that all my hard work had paid off.

Then straight after the presentation, boss messages me and more junior girl on our Teams chat saying 'brilliantly presented, TreeTops, and Junior Girl, they loved your deck!'

Now I know because I am quite senior that I should just try to let this go but it's annoyed me so so much!! I can handle not getting much praise for it, but to give credit to someone else entirely just really stings. Ugh.

I feel like I will be being really petty if I mention it, and doubt junior girl will really notice the message amid the mountain of stuff she'll have to catch up on when she gets back so probably won't correct him either. Gahhhhhhhh!!!!!!

You sound unprofessional and insecure tbh. Any acknowledgment of a junior member of staff is a slight on you?

Don’t follow any of this terrible advice on this thread to try and correct it. It’s not that you would look pathetic. It’s that it would be such bad judgment, your boss would revise his opinion of you downwards. I know I would.

@EarringsandLipstick

We can all read fine. The OP’s post says that the junior proof read the document. She might have mistyped but it’s there in black and white

I think you need to look at this positively. I share all possible credit with junior people. It encourages them and is motivating. You look good that you delegate. I'd expect your boss knows who did what. If he doesn't, so what? Its goodwill shared.

Recently I noticed one of my juniors had cited a piece of client feedback on her CV that whilst it really relates to me she got included by virtue of being on the team. It didn't occur to me til just now that this could be seen as a problem. I just thought ha snap! and was glad it was my project that she found so career enhancing.

One day your junior colleague will be pulling 50 hour week and you will be delivering the presentation (and taking credit from the client for her 50 hour week).

@EarringsandLipstick

I disagree with the cringey obviously. However, you might want to read the OP more carefully -
"There is a (wonderful and lovely) more junior team member who proofed the deck"

Have also had the experience of developing training sessions that have then been 'stolen' by other individual's who have passed it off as their work.
It is a truly frustrating situation, however, deep down I know that I was the person that developed the training and that it will hopefully fulfil the purpose it was created for. It will always be my work no matter who presents it.
I had to really think bout why this validation was important for me when ultimately I am already respected in my role.
It was a good learning experience and a reminder to myself not to give away more than I am prepared to give, as it may not be reciprocated.

Just to clarify, it's the fact that he's described it as HER deck. I think he thinks she wrote most of it, or at least had a significant hand in it. When the only thing she did was proof read it for 45 mins (I spent 50 hours developing it and cancelled leave to do so)

this is not about teamwork or working with juniors, as i said before she is wonderful and I love working with her - it's just that she had no time to help on this particular thing. And because I was so invested in it, I feel upset that the time and effort I spent is not recognised. As mentioned in my OP, i actually would have been fine for him not to to mention anything really - it's the fact that the credit is being given elsewhere (and nothing personal to her at all, she would certainly refuse it if she were here)

Anyway, it felt good to get it out and as an hour has now passed I'm starting to let it go now. I definitely won't be saying anything 😊

And yes, appreciate that 'deck' is hugely irritating (sorry about that 😂)

@MrMrsJones

I think I would mention that this was your own work and Junior wasn't involved.

My daughter recently had exactly the same scenario.

In the meeting a male colleague tried to take the credit.

My daughter said, I would just like you to know that this was my work, but if Bob, needs it for his promotion then let him crack on and take the credit. She then got up and walked out.

I was so proud of her

Kudos to her!! That sounds amazing 😊

I’m concerned by the number of so called professionals here who apparently “developed training” but apparently can’t read???? The OP worked on a project with a junior staff member and was thanked along with that junior staff member.

It’s nothing like your ex business partner taking credit for your work or someone stealing a document and putting their name on it and all these other ludicrous and unrelated scenarios.

If you can’t understand that, I’m not surprised that you’re judgment is poor enough that you keep getting taken advantage of.

@treetops46

Where was it described as her deck? You mean when he jointly gave credit or did he attribute it to her separately?

YABU for saying "deck" but apart from that it's annoying but I'd let it go!

Then straight after the presentation, boss messages me and more junior girl on our Teams chat saying 'brilliantly presented, TreeTops, and Junior Girl, they loved your deck!'

If you think he genuinely believes it's her work, I wouldn't let it go completely but would tread lightly.

I'd respond on Teams saying 'Thanks Boss, really pleased with how it went! And yes, thank you to Junior Girl too for your help with proofreading the deck, was really appreciated :)'

Boss will get it.

I wouldn't correct it (although I'd hope the junior member of staff would!) but id probably find a way to mention in my next 1:1 the extent of the work I did.

It’s a huge amount of work to have done to allow the credit go to someone else.

I would sort it like this

“dear boss I cancelled my annual leave last week as I needed to draft that presentation, I am planning on taking leave on x dates instead..”

Well if you want to clear it up you could reply
Thank you Boss and thank you to (juniors name) for his/her invaluable proof reading.
End it with a cringy #Teamwork

Really the junior should respond to say the content was all OP's
I would.
I would hate to take someone's credit. My boss on the other hand takes everything I do and passes it off as his own.

Refer to it as 'my deck'.

And reply 'Thank you! I won't lie, I slightly begrudged cancelling my AL, but it was worth it in the end!'

'I'm really pleased with my deck, it was worth postponing my AL to get it done! I'd like to rebook for dates:xyz'.

I think the only way you could get around it is to reply to them both and thank junior for proofing it for you despite how busy she was herself, you were going a bit grammar blind after working on it all week.

So you're still keeping praise on your colleague but also correcting the misunderstanding

If you think he thinks the junior did all the work definitely reply in a roundabout way e.g. it was 50 hours of my time well spent, or I'll have to rearrange my leave since I came in to make the ppt

Another one who says just gently correcting him, I daresay if colleague wasn’t off they would have done so already, but moment might have passed by time they get back. I don’t think there’s any shame in highlighting your efforts especially when they’ve been so well received.

Presumably Boss is aware that Junior Girl usually proof reads, I expect Boss was unaware that Junior Girl was too busy last week to do so on this occassion. Therefore has done an email thanking both of you, unaware JG was not involved?

Even so, if her job is only proof reading, then that's all he's thanking her for...

Blimey, is this what it’s like?

I work for myself, two small businesses, one pub, one making curtains, other than the pub being in The City is very far from the corporate world. I sometimes lament my missed opportunity to work in the cut and thrust of a large business, the sharp suits, the strategy meetings, the highs of meeting kpis and budgeting busting profits, but fuck me reading this I’m not missing anything. Surely when you work somewhere, ‘your’ work belongs to the company? How can people complain that someone else is using their work? Are you suggesting each time someone has to start from scratch?
I know it’s good to be recognised but ultimately you get paid and it’s teamwork.
OP you are good at your job and dedicated. Don’t do anything petty, go big. Are you due a performance or pay review? Set up a meeting and ask for pay rise. Tell your manager you are committed and your presentation won over a new client/ has made the business money etc.

I don't know why y'all think it's unprofessional of OP to bring it to his attention that she made the presentation (I'll second stop calling it a deck)

Would a man (generally, sure individual men aren't like this) let it go? Most of the ones i know wouldn't.
But then most of the juniors i work with would have said something like "yeah, thanks for working on this, treetop" in a public way.

[quote bluedodecagon]@treetops46

Where was it described as her deck? You mean when he jointly gave credit or did he attribute it to her separately?[/quote]
He congratulated me for presenting well then said to her 'they loved your deck' - ie the interpretation being I presented the slides she created