When the job market falters, many employees try to stay below the boss’s radar for fear they might be next on the chopping block. However, it’s far wiser to take the opposite approach. Now more than ever it’s especially important to be noticed (though for the right reasons, of course), explains Tina Chen, a director of permanent and temporary staffing firm Carlisle Staffing in Illinois.

“When companies trim staff, they will save the people who stand out because they manage their managers well,” says Chen. “There are also more temporary workers now who could manage upward to get hired.”

So instead of being the good-enough team member who the boss has trouble remembering, use these tricks to become noticed and indispensable.

1. Understand Your Boss

“Managing upward requires empathy,” says Aaron Nurick, professor of management and psychology at Bentley University in Waltham, Mass. Nurick believes that the key to success is being able to see the world from your manager’s perspective.

Instead of becoming frustrated by the boss, observe her work style and communication preferences and then adapt. You may be flooding the boss with e-mails while she finds it easier to speak via phone. Subtle adjustments on your part will make her job easier–which makes you look better.

You should also read your manager’s reactions to the way you present information, says Nurick. For example, you may work for someone who loves numbers and has little patience for more abstract thinking. In that case, try presenting your boss with a quantitative analysis first, and then succinctly explain its impact. Notice, too, if your boss prefers being asked questions or given answers. Decide if you should cut to the chase or soften your opinion by adding, “Would you agree?”

2. Stay Three Steps Ahead

Staffing expert Chen says that dealing with a boss can be like a game of chess. “Always stay three steps ahead of your opponent, and take the lead,” she advises. Employees who anticipate their boss’s needs beforethey arise will be seen as leaders and problem solvers.

Once you understand and start to think like your boss, you’ll be in a better position to take initiative. Let’s say, says Chen, you’re asked to find a person’s contact information because your boss is working on an insurance policy renewal. Respond by saying, “Yes I have his information, and would you like me to follow up with him regarding the renewal?”

“For every action there’s a reaction and then another action to follow,” Chen explains. In other words, anticipate additional questions or requests and handle them before you’re asked.

3. Be The Better Half

Become indispensable by learning your manager’s weaknesses and complimenting them with your strengths. Perhaps your boss is a brilliant visionary but impossibly disorganized. Rather than griping about how difficult she is to work with, make up for what she lacks by taking on the role of organizer. Suggest deadlines, remind her of appointments and follow up on items she’s forgotten. Not only will you have gained your boss’s trust, you’ll become the most valued member of her team.

4. Don’t Be Afraid to Speak Up

Career expert and co-author of Crucial Conversations, Kerry Patterson, says most employees are afraid to approach their managers about issues with their work style. In a survey he conducted, 50% of employees said they’d left a company because of a disagreeable boss, but only one in five had spoken with the boss about their concerns.

Patterson says the most common frustrations that employees face are micromanaging bosses and absentee bosses. Yet they rarely speak up. “People think it’s risky to address these problems, but if it’s handled professionally it increases your boss’s opinion of you,” he says.

When initiating a tough conversation, Patterson suggests that you offer an example of a specific behavior, explain how it made you feel and then ask for the manager’s perspective.

Here’s an example of what you might say: “Last week you checked in three times on a routine project. It made me feel as if you didn’t trust my ability to handle it. Is that the case?” This formula opens the door to an honest conversation without the manager feeling attacked. Patterson emphasizes that it’s important to point out specific behaviors and not characteristics of your manager, so that he doesn’t take offense.

5. Ask For More Responsibility

If you want to ensure a path to the top, Chen says you should make an impression with the even higher ups–your manager’s managers. Allow yourself to shine but don’t overstep your boundaries, she warns. Your immediate boss controls your projects and promotions, so you need to maintain his trust.

A great way to gain an audience with company leaders is to ask for more responsibility. Identify a big project that you’re confident you can handle, and then pour yourself into it to show what you can do. Another handy trick: Offer to head up an initiative. Maybe you become the resident expert on new software or organize a company event. Suddenly, people come to you with questions and view you as a leader.

Ultimately, make yourself valuable. Not only will you receive respect, but you may be in line for a raise.

Source

Try to be nice to them, they look like the fools
Like the quote goes, never argue with a fool because people who are looking cannot tell the difference and assume you both are fools. You don’t have to kiss anyone’s ass but if your boss is being nasty to your then resist the urge to be even nastier back to her. She is the one that will look like a bully to those around her. Arguing back with her may make her attacks validated.

Keep your distance
This may not be easy at all times but if you know that you and your boss generally do not get along well with each other, stay out of their way as much as possible. Limit your interactions with your boss. Give them a simple Good Morning etc and leave it at that.

Ignore them
Easier said than done sometimes but ignore your boss. Of course, you should not act as if they do not exist and look at them strangely when they are speaking to them. Rather, ignore their attempts at aggravating you. Remember you are there to collect a check. Not to make best friends.
Top Places To Find Work As A Black Woman
Get out during lunch.

Get out the building
Take a walk during your lunch, go out to eat, do something so that you are away from your job during your lunch. Take this time to regroup your thoughts and relax your mind and your temper.

Phone someone with a cooler head
I would often call my boy friend or best friend during my breaks because they were an “escape” of sorts from my boss’s over bearing personality. They refreshed me and boosted me with energy.

Get cool with someone of higher authority than them
This may seem kind of sneaky and underhanded but it’s not. It is just survival in a tense situation. Find a boss to grow a friendship with. Perhaps find someone that outranks your current boss. This person might be the one that will defends you against the boss that sometimes dislikes you.

Sidenote: There is a big difference between a boss that is a crank and a boss that is harassing you and crossing the lines of respect. No one should have to be abused in any way. If you feel that you are being abused in any way by your boss then talk to your human resources immediately.

For More LJ Knight Visit YeahSheSaidIt

You know the drill. You arrive a work with the best in-tensions. But once you sit down at your desk the wrath of negative kicks in pronto. Fix your attitude at work and being loving what you do with these tips from career coach G.L. Hoffman.

1. Surround yourself with positive things and people. If this means ignoring Debbie Downer at work, her loss. I am told that in AA, one of the things they tell you to do is to separate yourself from your drink ’til you throw up buddies. Same thing here. You are addicted to negative thinking and bad motivation.

2. Admit the problem. Don’t rationalize that you are just being “realistic.” Or that someone has to be a truth teller in your organization. Go tell all your truths to the others in the unemployment line.

3. Remember positive things and people. You have these memories, you just need to be able to call them up and relive them.

4. Read great books and literature. There are plenty of self-help, self-motivation books out there. Read a few and try some of the tips you will learn. Become a student, or a motivational hobbyist. More on this later.

5. Work on making yourself more likable. Yes, I am serious. Here is a piece that might help.

6. Laugh. I do not know any negative people who laugh–a lot. It is simply impossible to be negative and out of sorts if you smile and laugh a lot.

7. Read this. A revealing admission. I have read countless positive motivation books. I have seen Zig Ziglar. But the one book I keep coming back to is the one that literally shook me to my own core when I was 25 or so. It is not a motivational book, per se. In fact, it is a novel. For me, reading this book was a life changing event. If you have not yet read Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand, run to the library and check it out.

G. L. Hoffman is a serial entrepreneur and venture investor/operator/incubator/mentor. Source USnews.com

You are walking in your front door and your blackberry is buzzing, your children are hungry, your partner needs to chat and what do you do? Run to the computer to finish up one more thing at work. Learn how to leave work and work and create a balanced life. Work will be there tomorrow. You, INC…needs attention!

Change your route home On bad or overly stressful days at work, take a different route, preferably longer, way home. Turn the radio off and think about what you have to accomplish at work and how you will go about it. Once you feel comfortable with your gameplan, turn on your favorite tunes and think about things not related to work for the rest of the ride home.

Vent it out Lose your top, blow your lid, whatever term you like to use, just give warning to the members of the house that you would like the time to do that with them. Tell them you only need them to listen, they probably wont know who or what you are talking about anyway, and then stop! No more work talk after 15 minutes.

Big boss at home Being the boss at work does not mean that you get to make demands at home. Your family is not paid to listen to commands. Imagine your little 9 year old making a spreadsheet detailing their allowance expenditures — frightening. Treat the ones you love better even than those who report to you.

Power off There will inevitably be occasions that work needs to be completed at home. Ensure that your project is actually important enough for this to happen. Otherwise, keep the electronics (blackberries, laptops, etc) off when you are at home. Regarding email; sure you may be tempted to check, but reserve this “special” time with your inbox for the office, otherwise you may end up completing tasks at home.

Ask When you get home, ask your spouse how their day was. The key here is to actually listen to their response. Ask your children about their day, and then summarize yours by ending on a positive note.

Get up earlier Rise and shine, go-getter! While it may be difficult to fall into this routine at first, getting up earlier and starting to accomplish some small tasks can lead to more free time for the family later.

Be realistic There are very few women that can pull off the dual role of supermom and superworker, so factor in the core requirements of your job and make necessary adjustments. You may consider approaching your boss about a flexible schedule if you feel strongly that this will help your work performance.

Gang up A support system is a key to surviving the switch between work and home. Start using your family and then extend to friends and trustworthy colleagues. Eventually you will come to know who to rely on for what situation.

Delegate Delegation is simple and effective. Trust your employees or family members to execute tasks and live up to responsibilities so that you can be spared doing those items. This will allow you more free time to concentrate on the core of your own responsibilities.

Since there are very few places that sound a horn at quitting time any longer, it’s up to each individual to be able to sound the virtual horn in their head and get ready to “punch out” and head home.

Source: Sheknows.com Suzi Milovanovic is a busy wife and working mother of two who, in addition to her writing contributions to SheKnows and Real Moms Guide, publishes 2 local parenting websites for Phoenix families, EastValleyParent.com and WestValleyParent.com. You can keep up with Suzi on Twitter as @SuziSays.

Never mind Monday morning — does every day at work get you down? Most of us can’t just quit our jobs…but we can do little things to make work better.

Don’t knock these tips until you try them! Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen from the “Quips and Tips” blog has made it easier for you to deal at work. You never know what could result from putting these babies into action…Work on Working Divas!

1. Take your lava lamps and green plants to work. Both are scientifically proven to reduce stress and improve health on the job. The motion of the lava lamp is visually relaxing, and green plants increase job satisfaction by providing a sense of rest. Research shows that having plants in your office is more beneficial than having a window!

2. Develop strategies for coping with workplace bullying and office conflicts. The better equipped you are to cope with conflict at work — such as dealing with office politics — the less mental stress and strain you’ll feel. Achieving your career goals is more about empowerment than getting a job promotion. Take classes or read books about dealing with difficult coworkers. Go to workshops or “brown bag sessions” on workplace communication, job success, or employee interactions. Take an evening course on succeeding on the job, or creating a better work environment .

3. Schedule “mental health” days. Don’t reserve time off for when you or your family is physically ill, or you’re on vacation! Schedule one workday every couple of months just for relaxing, pursuing your favorite leisure activity, or catching up on stuff at home. This may be a lot to ask your employer — and it’s often difficult to leave work for “no reason” — but it’s worth the effort.

4. Deal with your health problems immediately. If you’re flirting with depression, stomachaches, stress headaches, or chronic fatigue, go to a doctor as soon as possible. This is especially important if you’ve recently won a job promotion ! Research on job promotions shows that after advancing at work, employees are 20% less likely to visit their doctors for routine physicals or specific health complaints. Promoted workers have more time constraints that, coupled with increased mental strain and stress, leads to fewer doctors’ visits and poorer health.

5. Know thyself – get comfortable with your own personality. For example, people with introverted personality traits may feel socially inept, weird, or antisocial. Introverts don’t always realize that they’re simply drained by groups of people and that they process their thoughts differently than extroverts. The more you know about your personality – and the more comfortable you are with yourself – the easier it’ll be to like your job. And, dealing with workplace stress is easier when you have a little self-awareness and insight into how you tick. If you’re an introvert, you might find career tips for introverts helpful.

Working from home brings with it a lot of freedom – the freedom to make decisions, to set hours and to determine your own workplace culture. Yet the home-based office has its share of challenges. Space is limited. It’s hard to stay organized when the lines blur between home and work.

Wireless technology has made it possible to work in any room of the house, which is great — but it can also be part of the problem. Just because you can work anywhere doesn’t mean you should. The key to setting up a successful home office is to designate a specific location and clearly define the boundaries of your work space.

10 Ways to Gain an Hour in Each Day

Ask yourself the following questions to help you decide where to locate your office, based on your individual needs, family patterns and personal preferences.

• Full or part time? Home offices used full time require more work and storage space whereas part-time ones can usually afford to be smaller and tucked away (beneath a stairwell, perhaps).

• Compact or spacious? How much space you need also depends on the type of work you do and your preferred style of working. For example, a writer who does all his/her work by computer and phone requires less space than an artist or craftsperson who needs and wants to have much elbow room to spread things out.

• Remote or central? If noise and activity will disturb your concentration, select the quietest, most private location in the house – the basement or a guest room upstairs, perhaps. But if you can block out such distractions, or thrive on them because they make you feel stimulated and connected, select a more public location – a breakfast nook near the dining room, perhaps.

• Multi-use? If the space will be used for a dual purpose — e.g., home office by day, guest room by night — be sure to store papers and supplies in file drawers or containers for quick cleanup when others come in to use it. When sharing your home office with other family members, find a way to separate your files, records and supplies, with designated drawers, cabinets and shelves for your work only.

Once you determine where you are going to work, select the best furniture and technology you can find to create an inviting and comfortable environment.

• Desk: Pick a desk that suits your work style – if you like to spread out, a minimum of 59 inches wide, 33 inches deep will ensure sufficient work surface.

• Chair: Invest in a GREAT chair for health and comfort – my favorite is the Freedom Chair by Humanscale. We’ve had them in our office for years – and I can sit at the desk for hours without any fatigue at all.

• File storage. Even if you do most of your work on the computer, you likely need at least one or two drawers for filing printouts, originals, signed contracts, warranties and other information you prefer to keep on paper. Choose between filing cabinets, portable file boxes or rolling filing carts based on your particular space, style and quantity of paper.
Select the best furniture and technology you can find to create an inviting and comfortable environment.

• Lighting. Whether natural or electrical, be sure you have enough to work in without causing eye strain. Halogen lamps are excellent for increasing brightness in the room with indirect light.

• Technology. Take advantage of technology that’s fast and sleek to create an efficient little work space. Set up wireless Internet and printing to reduce cord clutter. Wireless printers allow you to park the printer elsewhere to save desk space. Check out a super-cool printer-fax-scanner with unique time-saving features specifically for the home-office user — along with a series of video tutorials by me on effectively working from home!

Share with us: Where do you work in your home? What type of work do you do in your office? How do you keep the boundaries between work and home clear? What other office organizing tips would you like me to share?

Source: wowowow.com byJulie Morgenstern

Always remember you’re part of something big. “Offering solutions that take into account the effect on the company as a whole always stands out—as a boss, PR is usually left to you. In fact, receiving unprompted, practical improvements for the company at any time really highlights an employee.” However, don’t make it all about you. “Never ask, ‘How will x affect me and my job?’ In a crisis, it’s the people that put their team’s welfare first that get noticed.”

Put your words into action. “It’s a misconception that the person who ‘talks the talk’ will shine. Great bosses notice the people who follow up. Offer to take something on, provide a deadline then and there, and follow through.”

Speak up. In meetings, “raise relevant points that build on previous comments, rather than simply reiterate. It shows you’re paying attention and care about results.” But don’t interrupt your colleagues. “It’s discourteous, arrogant, and strikes you out as a team player. Good bosses can’t stand it.”

Treat your boss as a human. “We are living, breathing beings who have non-work interests! If you’re in the elevator together, a nice comment about your handbag or children is lovely—and is remembered.”

Don’t kiss their ass. “One of our board members used to buy take-out coffees and pour them into a glass. Some employees started doing it in an attempt to align themselves with him. It was cringeable. It also makes you as a boss feel under constant scrutiny!”

But do toot your own horn. “Bosses hear lots of problems—so regularly updating us with your own and your team’s successes is appreciated.”

Leave the cliques where they belong—in high schools. “Beware: Superiors note who joins in with office politics and who expresses their own views. Cliques can very often limit your options in more ways than you know.”

Source: NicoleWilliams.com

Up late last night? Couldn’t get to sleep, or woke up just to stare at the ceiling for hours in the middle of the night? Or are you just plain tired?

We all have days when we just don’t feel energetic and with it. But when you’ve got work to do–whether in your job, building your own business or around the house–you can’t simply go back to bed. You need to stay alert, make the most of your day and avoid getting distracted or making silly mistakes.

Be Clear About What You Want to Accomplish
It’s always a good idea to have a clear goal in mind, but especially when you’re feeling tired or otherwise sub-par. Sit down and think about what you need to get done today. If you’re working on a big project, what exactly are you going to get done? The next chapter? That section with the statistics you need to look up? Even if you’re spring cleaning, don’t just do whatever catches your eye–make a plan.

It’s very easy to start meandering into lots of unrelated tasks, if you don’t have a clear focus on what you want to accomplish. I’m sure you’ve had days where you’ve looked back and wondered where your time went–well, this is how to make sure you spend your time on something worthwhile.

Get Ruthless About Distractions
Again, this is always good advice–but when you’re tired, it counts double. Stay out of your e-mail, don’t log into Facebook and don’t keep taking breaks from the task at hand. It’s easy to get distracted when you’re not focusing well, and falling prey to diversions only makes it harder to concentrate.

You know what it’s like to “just check Facebook” and spend the next hour looking at your cousin’s holidays snaps. Every time your attention wanders, direct it straight back to what you’re supposed to be working on.

Drink Plenty of Water
Dehydration saps your concentration, so make sure you’re sipping water regularly when you’re tired. Although caffeine can supply a temporary boost of energy, try to go easy on the coffee: you’ll only crash otherwise. Ditto for sugary sodas.

I like to keep a bottle of water on my desk, within easy reach: because it’s next to me, it’s easy to remember to drink from it. And because the bottle has a screw cap, there’s no chance I’ll accidentally tip it into my computer’s keyboard.

Keep Moving Around
If you’re feeling sleepy, the worst thing to do is to sit down somewhere warm and comfy–you’ll almost certainly nod off! Instead, make sure you move around frequently: get up and stretch, go for a brisk walk, get your body temperature up a bit. This is an especially good idea if you get that mid-afternoon slump: walking around will shake it off.

Take a Shower
Getting into a shower will really wake you up when you’re feeling sluggish. If you’re struggling to even get out of bed, head straight for the shower. As soon as you’re under that running water, you’ll feel considerably more alive.

If you work from home, a mid-afternoon shower can be a great pick-me-up when you’re tired. If you’re in an office, splashing your face with cold water is a good refreshing alternative.

Perform Easier Tasks
If you’re feeling really tired but you still need to get some work done, try doing your more routine tasks: things like replying to emails, filing documents, making minor website updates and so on. Often, your energy will naturally pick back up while you work.

Ali Hale is a London-based professional blogger and post-graduate student of creative writing. This column originally appeared on the blog, Dumb Little Man.

Source: Forbes Woman

How do you cope when you’re tired and you need to carry on working? Leave your comments.

As Samuel Johnson observed, “It is by studying little things that we attain the great art of having as little misery, and as much happiness as possible.”

Your work space:
1. Check for eyestrain: put your hand to your forehead in a salute. If your eyes feel relieved, your space is too bright. When I got my three monitors (an investment which makes me ecstatically happy, by the way), I had to turn down their brightness levels because the glare was terrible.

2. Get a good desk chair and take the time to adjust it properly.

3. Sit up straight — every time I do, I instantly feel more energetic and cheerier.

4. Indulge in a modest splurge, i.e., consider whether there are ways to spend money that would make a big difference. Could you invest in some desk accessories to help you stay organized? Could you replace an inconvenient lamp with something that works better?

5. Get a phone headset. I resisted for a long time, but it’s really much more comfortable. The phone headset is like the rolling suitcase: yes, you look a little silly, but it makes life a lot easier.

6. Don’t keep treats around. A handful of M&Ms each day might mean a weight gain of five pounds by year’s end. My husband used to work at an office that kept a kitchen fully stocked with treats. When he switched jobs, he dropped about ten pounds, which actually had me a little worried until we figured out the reason.

7. Periodically, take time to deep-clean the loose papers that have piled up. I never do this until I specifically schedule a time, but am always amazed at the wonderful calm it brings.

Your day:
8. Never say “yes” on the phone; instead, say, “I’ll get back to you.” When you’re actually speaking to someone, the desire to be accommodating is very strong, and can lead you to say “yes” without enough consideration.

9. Take care of difficult calls or emails as quickly as possible. Procrastinating just makes it harder; getting them done gives a big boost of relieved energy.

10. When accepting a responsibility, imagine that it’s something that you’ll have to do next week. That way you don’t agree to a task just because it seems so far off that it doesn’t seem onerous.

11. Be honest about how you’re spending your time. You feel overwhelmed, but are you really working hard? How much time do you spend surfing the internet, chatting on the phone, looking for things you’ve misplaced, or doing tasks that are really someone else’s job?

12. Go outside at least once a day, and if possible, take a walk. The sunlight and activity is good for your focus, mood, and retention of information.

13. Even if you can’t go outside, take a ten-minute break each hour. Studies show that the break boosts your retention level.

14. Don’t let yourself get too hungry.

15. Try to make a lunch date with someone outside the office at least once a week.

16. Let yourself stay ignorant of things you don’t need to know.

By Gretchen Rubin for Shine by Yahoo. I send out short monthly newsletters that highlight the best of the previous month’s posts to about 21,000 subscribers. If you’d like to sign up, click here or email me at grubin, then the “at” sign, then gretchenrubin dot com. (sorry about that weird format – trying to to thwart spammers.) Just write “newsletter” in the subject line. It’s free.

Bad co-workers come in a variety of guises: there’s the office gossip, the suck up and the slacker. But one of the most infuriating types is the credit stealer–the co-worker who hogs someone else’s spotlight or, even worse, brazenly takes credit for a colleagues work.

According to a survey conducted by the temporary staffing service Office Team, 29% of employees interviewed reported that a co-worker had assumed credit for one of their ideas. Even more surprising, 51% of the respondents did nothing about it.

Kathi Elster, president of the executive-coaching firm K Squared Enterprises, says that that credit stealing and limelight hording create corrosive workplace environments.

“They are huge problems. No matter what company we go into, these are things clients always want to talk about,” says Elster, who co-authored Working for You Isn’t Working for Me.

The Dropped Ball

The staff meeting is particularly rife with credit grabbing, says Pat Heim, CEO of The Heim Group, a consulting firm that specializes in gender differences in the workplace. “A woman will say ‘I think we ought to do X,’ and it will be as if she never made that statement. Five minutes later, a man will say, ‘We have to do X,’ and suddenly it’s the greatest idea since sliced bread,” she says.

Heim, who wrote Hardball for Women, says that rather than stewing about the injustice of it all, the wronged party should treat the whole exchange as a scrimmage, as men tend to do. “She put the ball out on the table and it sat there, so Jason is thinking ‘That ball looks pretty good.’ He picked it up and ran with it. Well, why wouldn’t he? It was just sitting there doing nothing,” she explains.

To get the credit back, Heim suggests a precisely lobbed volley: “She might say, ‘Oh Jason, I’m so I’m glad that you agreed with my suggestion.’ So she’s thanking him–and not looking like a bitch–and she’s getting it back.”

Seizing The Moment

Of course, men aren’t the only ones who steal credit. Susan Shapiro Barash, a professor of gender studies at Marymount Manhattan College and author of Toxic Friends: The Antidote for Women Stuck in Complicated Friendships, says that women in the workplace are often very cutthroat with one another because of the perception that there is only room for a handful of female executives at the top. “It’s the limited-good theory,” says Barash. “A musical-chairs feeling that that creates tremendous competition and rivalry.”

Regardless of whether the problem colleague is male or female, intentionally malicious or not, experts advise defending yourself in the moment, when possible. “I’m so happy you like that idea. When I first bought it to you a week ago, I wasn’t sure,” Elster suggests saying.

Directly confronting the situation and then moving on will prevent misunderstandings from compounding and emotions from running high–unless, of course, your emotions are already running high. Then it’s best to stay quiet and confront the person later.

“Strike when the iron is cool,” says Elster. “If your accusation comes out in angry tones, you will end up looking like the bad one.”

The Gentle Art of Saying, ‘Hey, You Stole My Idea!’

No matter how clear-cut the idea the thievery appears, negotiation expert Sheila Heen says that you should always begin with the assumption that it wasn’t intentional. “Some people genuinely don’t remember where the idea comes from–they are just excited about the idea,” says Heen, a founder of Triad Consulting Group and co-author of Difficult Conversations: How To Discuss What Matters Most.

When you confront your colleague, Heen suggests that you avoid the blame game. “Separate intention from impact,” she advises. “Hey, I didn’t know if you were aware of this, but in our recent pitches there were ideas that I came up with but in the meeting it sounded like they were yours.”

If a subtle approach doesn’t work, simply tell this person what you want. Successful resolution doesn’t hinge on whether your co-worker agrees with you, notes Heen, as he may protest that he didn’t think it came off that way. But don’t allow yourself to get sucked into a debate about what was or was not said. Simply let him know what you would like him to do about it, whether that means sending an e-mail clarifying your role in the project or not taking credit for your ideas in the future.

Knowing When To Let It Go

If the credit stealer is your boss, you have a more complicated problem. Many managers believe that any idea that comes from their department is their idea. Once again, you could request that they put your name on the project. But if your boss bristles, it’s probably best to let the matter drop.

“Sometimes it’s not worth it,” says Elster, who says that serial credit stealers usually get found out in the end. The converse is also true, adds Heen. “Over time, it will become clear where the ideas are coming from.”

Enjoy this story written by Sara Eckel ? Keep reading at ForbesWoman.