How To Be Sure You Always Get Credit For Your Work
Have you ever been in a situation where you have worked really hard on a project only to find out that you were not given credit for your work? You feel like you want to say something but at the same time, you want to just let it go. This is a terrible feeling and makes you not want to work as hard on your next project.
There is a fine line between being humble and selling yourself short. Don’t sell yourself short because you’re afraid to speak up. Making sure that you always get credit for your work can be a daunting task. You work so hard on the project, then you have to work even harder to make sure the work is connected to your name. Use the following tips to ensure that you are always recognized for your work.
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Work Well With Others
Group projects usually suck because there are so many things to do and so many different personalities. This is why it is important to work well with your coworkers. The best thing to do at the beginning of a group project is to make sure that your team understands what they need to do and how everyone’s contributions will work together. Everyone also needs their own space to work independently but at some point, everyone will need to put their pieces together to complete the project.
Each person should be assigned an equal amount of the work and be aware of their deadlines. This will ensure that all of the work gets done in the same amount of time. It will leave plenty of time for each of you to combine your contributions and make sure the finished product flows nicely. If you get your work done in a timely manner and your contribution to the project is clear, you should have no problem getting credit for your work. If you are unsure about how to stand out in a group project, try reading The 10 Commandments of Winning Teammates by Sean Glaze before your next project. You will have all of the tools that you need to succeed.
Speak Up To Get Credit For Your Work
If you’re working on a group project or an individual project and you’re not recognized properly, speak up. These situations happen often in the workplace and sometimes it may be intentional and sometimes it may not. Either way, it hurts to see someone else take credit for your work.
Speaking up will make sure that you get the credit and recognition that you deserve. You don’t have to say anything forceful or mean. Just try to speak with a pleasant tone that is not aggressive. Say things like, “I really enjoyed gathering data about giraffes in labor, and Courtney’s charts and graphs looked amazing!” Now everyone knows that you contributed the research for the project and that Courtney worked really hard on organizing the data. No one else’s feelings should be hurt and you will not be overlooked.
Become An Expert On The Subject
When working on a project, you should learn everything that you can about your topic. The more knowledgeable you are, the easier it is for someone else to give you credit for your work. As an expert on your topic, you will know more about your topic than anyone else. This will allow other people to come to you with questions if your topic intersects with theirs. You don’t want to seem like a know-it-all. You just want to be seen as the go-to person for what you’re working on.
This requires extra time and effort but it will pay off in the end. You will have lots of information to use for your project and your colleagues will see that you are dedicated. Your work will exceed what is expected and you may also inspire others to become more thorough in their own research as well.
Acknowledge The Work Of Others
This may sound crazy, but one way to get credit for your work is to acknowledge the work that others have done. I don’t think that you should suck up to anyone, but a genuine compliment could help you stand out in the crowd. It is easier for someone to give you credit for your own work when you have given them credit for theirs. Something as simple as telling someone that the logo that they have created looks great will go long way. Don’t over do it with the recognition, but be sure to make others feel appreciated as well.
Ask For Feedback
There may come a point where you just have to let the recognition go. You do not want to cause tension in your situation or be fired from your job. I would rather you avoid a major conflict than to cause a scene and be left with no job at all. Use these times as an opportunity to ask for feedback. Talk calmly to a manager or supervisor about what you could have done differently. You can also ask (nicely) why you were not given credit.
You may find out that your contribution was a small piece of a larger puzzle and individual recognition would have taken the focus away from the company. If individual recognition is important to you and you notice that your company does not intend to recognize their employees individually, then you know that you should search for a company that will better suit your needs. Whatever the reason, listen closely to your feedback and use it to move forward with your next project.
Taking credit for your work does not mean that you’re bragging or being arrogant. It simply means that you want to be recognized for the work that you’ve done. Staying silent about your contributions on a project could mean that you are overlooked for new opportunities. You could also lose out on a promotion. The reason that you would be overlooked is because no one knows that you deserve more responsibility or a promotion. There is no way to tell how knowledgeable you are and how awesome your contributions have been. With that being said, it’s easy to understand why you should always make sure you get credit for your work.
Let us know in the comments if you have had experiences where you didn’t receive credit for your work!
*This article contains affiliate links, and we will be compensated for any purchase made by clicking on them. Thank you for supporting Miss Millennia Magazine!*
