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Original poster

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

257 replies

treetops46 · 02/03/2022 12:46

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!!!!!!

OP posts:
mum11970 · 02/03/2022 17:50

You’re going to look very petty if, as I suspect, your boss meant ‘your deck’ in the plural sense rather than the singular.

ineedsun · 02/03/2022 17:51

@DingDongtheWitchisDrunk

The word 'deck' is used in most industries who use PPT etc daily. So it's very ignorant to say that the OP's use of the term is cringey. The term 'presentation' reminds me of people who do one 'presentation' a year.

Anyway, the Junior person did proofread it, but didn't develop any content.

I'd also reply and say "I'm pleased it went well, thanks xxx for proofreading the deck for me"

I worked as a lecturer for 10 years, used PowerPoint (among other things) on an almost daily basis and have never heard of it being referred to as decks. Why decks? How long has it been called this?
ChateauMargaux · 02/03/2022 17:51

Sleep on it and then think about whether you want to be clear about how much work this was and that it was your work and how to best do that...

Reply: Thanks Billy big balls, I felt it went really well, I am glad they liked everything. It was great to have junior skivvy help with proofing the deck before the meeting, having a fresh pair of eyes was essential at the 11th hour.

youvegottenminuteslynn · 02/03/2022 17:53

@AllOfUsAreDead

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!'

Is the boss maybe meaning you both when he says 'your deck'? Just a bit badly worded?

He mentioned you first, then kind of her as an after thought, then 'the clients loved the slides you both worked on'. That's the meaning I took from it. Yeah you did most of the work, but he's just including her as more of an afterthought and not discounting the help she gave.

Think it's just badly worded praise.

This is exactly how I read it too.
ScribblingPixie · 02/03/2022 17:57

Me too. I think he's just expressed himself clumsily.

SevenWaystoLeave · 02/03/2022 17:58

Honestly, maybe it's just me but I feel like suggestions of ways to say it subtly could backfire as easily as if you say it outright - reminding the boss Junior Girl was off sick by wishing her an obviously insincere recovery, or emphasising how much you martyred yourself by cancelling AL - either the boss is the clueless type and won't pick up the hints at all, or he will pick it up and OP will seem passive-aggressive and insincere. If you must say something, saying what you mean is preferable. But I don't think there's any way, subtle or outright, to object to a junior staff member receiving a namecheck for a project she was involved in, without spoiling some of the good will built up by delivering a successful project.

hoorayandupsherises · 02/03/2022 18:00

I'd reply to all on his message and say, "Agreed, thank you so much, JuniorGirl, for proofreading the deck."

But I am petty, so that's not necessarily great advice ...

Original poster
treetops46 · 02/03/2022 18:00

Just to set the record straight on Junior Girl, who as I mentioned is wonderful and lovely.

We have an incredible working relationship, i regularly and heftily praise her for her work - and she has won various company awards, as nominated by me, over the years. She is absolutely not under recognised, and nor should she be.

We are a team that lifted each other up, working in a client-serving industry and tough but we have each other's backs - which is partly why I wouldn't have her work even more hours to help on this 'deck' because she was already at capacity.

I would never deny her acknowledgment or praise, it's just that she was really not involved in this piece of work! If she were here she would think it extremely odd to have been credited in such a way

OP posts:
TheSmallAssassin · 02/03/2022 18:04

@ineedsun from more than 10 years ago, before PowerPoint was a twinkle in Microsoft's eye, when slides really were film slides, stored in a deck (like a deck of cards). Have you never wondered why they were called slides? We used to use the term "foils", too, when they were acetates on overhead projectors, which is even more confusing.

It's a bit like the "save" symbol being a picture of a floppy disk, I bet you've never saved a document onto one of those, either.

Jenasaurus · 02/03/2022 18:05

Something similar happened today at work with a colleagues presentation, he had worked on it for weeks, and then I was adding some information into the spreadsheet when I was asked to stop filtering the columns as another member of the team had it on the big screen as part of their presentation and everytime I changed a filter it messed up their presentation at another site! The document was shared on teams so people in the team could view it and see how much work had been completed on this project and then later a thank you was sent by a Director to this person but the team copied in thanking them for all the hard work. I hope by me making changes while they were presenting, made it clear that it wasn't their work, but its still a bit annoying for my colleague and all the work he had put into it, they didn't even ask to use it.

PainterMummy · 02/03/2022 18:05

I do think credit should be due to you. Why not reply with something similar to

“Oh I’m so happy my deck was well received. I was worried as I had to cancel my leave last minute to prepare it to meet the deadline.”

Perhaps also add “ If it’s ok with you, I’d like to reschedule my leave for xx date. “

So he’s aware you’re still owed your leave too.

Original poster
treetops46 · 02/03/2022 18:07

All the people suggesting it could be poorly worded and aimed at us both, well I suppose that could be a possibility and certainly makes me feel better!

OP posts:
musicviking1 · 02/03/2022 18:11

This has happened to my DH on numerous occasions with training presentations. He doesn't call people out on it but I would.

ClariceQuiff · 02/03/2022 18:12

@Jenasaurus

Something similar happened today at work with a colleagues presentation, he had worked on it for weeks, and then I was adding some information into the spreadsheet when I was asked to stop filtering the columns as another member of the team had it on the big screen as part of their presentation and everytime I changed a filter it messed up their presentation at another site! The document was shared on teams so people in the team could view it and see how much work had been completed on this project and then later a thank you was sent by a Director to this person but the team copied in thanking them for all the hard work. I hope by me making changes while they were presenting, made it clear that it wasn't their work, but its still a bit annoying for my colleague and all the work he had put into it, they didn't even ask to use it.
If that had happened to me, the temptation to close and then password-protect the spreadsheet would have been almost unbearable!
LaughingCat · 02/03/2022 18:16

Ohhhh…I totally get it. I would be equally gutted. He’s probably patting himself on the back for being so grounded as to recognise the juniors as well 😂

Totally understand your chagrin, especially as you’re sensitive enough to leave it alone now. Ouch, I feel for you!

DontBeMean · 02/03/2022 18:20

@DingDongtheWitchisDrunk

The word 'deck' is used in most industries who use PPT etc daily. So it's very ignorant to say that the OP's use of the term is cringey. The term 'presentation' reminds me of people who do one 'presentation' a year.

Anyway, the Junior person did proofread it, but didn't develop any content.

I'd also reply and say "I'm pleased it went well, thanks xxx for proofreading the deck for me"

At last a sensible post! I'm baffled by posters who wouldn't make sure your boss knows who did the work. It was 50 hours worth of work!!! I would just tell him straight but if you really can't then 'DingDongs' reply is good.

If it was me I'd phone him and simply say. I've seen your feedback about the deck and wanted to double check that you know it was me that did the deck. It's a one minute phone call.

BowerOfBramble · 02/03/2022 18:22

I bet no-one would suggest a man was petty for pointing out he'd done work he'd not only done but gone out of his way to do. Unprofessional though, apparently, if you've got a pair of tits.

Plus if I were "junior girl" I'd be happy you'd corrected him or it would feel like I'd "taken" the credit through not being able to correct.

Reply to him only "Thanks boss, glad you enjoyed the deck - this one was actually my baby since last week Junior Girl was up to her eyeballs on [other account] where she's doing such a fabulous job."

TAKE THE CREDIT OP, you deserve it and noone wins from you ignoring this.

BowerOfBramble · 02/03/2022 18:23

oh sorry missed a bit:

Reply to him only "Thanks boss, glad you enjoyed the deck - the slides* were actually my baby since last week Junior Girl was up to her eyeballs on [other account] where she's doing such a fabulous job, but she was kind enough to give it the once over for me. We're a good team!"

*or whatever you call them

MilkGoatee · 02/03/2022 18:24

I think he started writing this:

Great presentation Treetops46, they loved your deck.

Then remembered, oh, JnrGrl is part of the team and she will have been involved.

And quickly put " , and JnrGrl " after your name, without considering that it read a bit wonky as a result. Just the speed of fairly informal email.

Was the email sent to other people or copied to the client as well?

I suppose it's a teaching moment, make sure if your emails go to outsiders, or at least to more than the people mentioned, make sure it's unambiguous!

FiftyStoriesHigh · 02/03/2022 18:25

To be fair, this would annoy the crap out of me. It sounds like the phrasing implies he thinks she made the PPT and you presented it. I couldn’t let that lie. I’d just be like, “Thank you. Can’t remember the last time I spent that long on a deck (bar the cruise ;) ).”
… Just an idea since we’re VERY keen on ‘deck’.

Alternatively some poorly judged quip about all hands not on deck.

MelvinThePenguin · 02/03/2022 18:26

I had something like this last week.

I spent a lot of time putting together some complex financial information a couple of months ago. A colleague asked my direct report for the same information at very short notice. My direct report sent my work, with a small update. The update consisted purely of removing the costs we now knew we were no longer going to incur. Literally deleting some rows on a spreadsheet.

There were 3 or 4 ridiculously over the top, fawning e-mails from the requesting manager, copying in a whole host of senior colleagues, about how fantastic my direct reports work was. “Just brilliant”, “Have you considered a career in finance?” “Outstanding job” etc.

I was prepared to let it go (my standing is good as it is) but my direct report did respond to say I did the legwork. Maybe the same will happen here.

FiftyStoriesHigh · 02/03/2022 18:26

I too read it as mutual though. She sounds like a bit of an afterthought in the email.

littlepeas · 02/03/2022 18:28

I know this is a bit cancel he cheque at this point of the thread, but I have never heard the term deck before and find that I dislike it intensely!

SevenWaystoLeave · 02/03/2022 18:29

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littlepeas · 02/03/2022 18:29

Just asked dh if he ever says deck instead of presentation and thankfully he doesn't.

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