Dear CompanyWise,

Something has happened to me and it's  taking my sleep.

I worked on an idea to improve the assurance of our results and how to prove the evidence to our customers.

To be sure that it fits in the framework of 'Continuous Improvement', I discussed it with a colleague from that department. He thought it was brilliant and said he would support me when I present my proposal to the management team.

But what happened to my surprise? Before I had the chance to present the plan, the CEO openly congratulates my colleague for his  innovative approach! Not a word about my contribution!

I feel so angry and alone. What can I do?

A lonely employee.

Dear lonely soul,

Well, a colleague who steals all the praise but contributes nothing. Frustrating, isn't it?

A question: Is it possible that it's not the first time? That maybe you should be more assertive?

First of all, I would like to advise you to prevent this from happening again.  It is wiser not to discuss ideas 1 on 1. Make sure several colleagues are involved in sharing your work. If you discuss something with your team, you can keep track of who came up with which ideas. That way, everyone gets a pat on the back from time to time.

Back to the current situation. What can you do with the colleague in question? Perhaps he has presented the idea, but doesn't know how to implement it? Then he should come back to you for information. This is an ideal opportunity to put pressure on the real story.  You can now demand that you present the plan of approach.

You can also talk to him in person and tell him honestly what this is doing to you. What feelings and needs? And set clear expectations: that you will close your eye for now for the sake of collegiality. Ask to be involved in the roll-out or in a new interesting project. In this way, you will increasingly claim your place and the recognition will be correspondingly greater.

Good luck!