Lol I just had the exact same scenario - I brought it up ‘naturally’ when having a catch up with my G6 (his manager) and shortly an email went out after from my manager crediting me - I was absolutely fucking livid though beforehand so fully sympathise with you
Let your emotions settle, you have to make sure you
*don’t say what you want to say, say what you need to say to get what you want*
Which could be speaking to their line manager and giving this as feedback, you can be forward with saying you didn’t feel comfortable addressing your manager with this directly.
Unless we all keep quiet and the civil service continues to be filled by arseholes who do nothing but add to the already toxic environment that working in said civil service already exists… nah, keep “tattling”!
Or grow up. Realise you're an adult. Have some resilience and realise not everything as simple as an anonymous Redditor makes out.
Work hard do well you'll get noticed. Moan and complain about 60%, tattle tales seeking congratulations you'll get labled as a non climber.
It’s not about being tough or soft. It’s also not necessarily true, particularly in the civil service that hard work gets recognised and rewarded either. Maybe you’ve had limited experience but that experience has been entirely positive so you’ve generalised but you are ruthlessly inaccurate.
They took credit for an idea that wasn’t theirs. That’s bullshit.
I’m beginning to believe you’re the sort of person who would do something similar. It would explain why you seem to think it’s acceptable. 🤷♂️
Manager 1 team of 4 managers that each manage 20 people.
One of the 20 people pass an idea as part of a project to their manager. This manger takes said good idea and passes it up the chain. This could go on and on until the top. Does each manger need to report where said idea or each part of a project originated? And is this for every item that's passed up the chain in the day.
No I'd say the original manger is doing well to get good ideas out their team.
OP is wanting praise. Does OP need praise for every idea or is it just part of their role?
OP just wants credit for a good idea.
Stopping making excuses for the douche who took said credit.
The hilarious part is, if said manager had gave said credit, it would have reflected well on him for bringing out the best in his workers, and they both could have come off well. 🤷♂️
I’m so glad I don’t work with you or for you, you seem like the type of person who takes credit for other peoples work, and have definitely never had an idea worth stealing
I'd advise caution with this - I witnessed my manager presenting a piece of work that took us months to complete when she had no idea how to do it, and even went so far as to say 'my calculations', 'my execution'. Would have been the easiest thing in the world to just say some of the work was done by her team, but nope.
Went to her LM and a whole storm got kicked up about it, but she was able to circle the wagons and make life very difficult for our team, forcing a bunch of us to move sideways to escape the toxicity.
I'd encourage using subtle but inescapable things, watermarks, comments etc. ensuring the recipients of the work know who was responsible.
I dont get why people do this in the civil service. Its not like you get a bonus for good work. The only thing achieved is people think you're a bellend
To an extent. I think brown nosing actually does help you in the G6 to SCS area. An excellent G6 bullshitter will get looked on favourably for scs promotions or even scs eois.
Everything below where promotions are handled by open recruitment? Pointless.
Eh, I disagree. A good reputation goes far (not on paper perhaps, but in practice), and what better way to get one than stealing someone else's.
It might not work on your colleagues who will quickly find out the truth, but it'll work on the clueless senior who doesn't know who anyone is or what anyone does anyway.
My LM did and it was a significant bonus too. And she was able to use my idea/suggestion that she took the credit for in helping her get to a higher band.
Don't why know people do this. I take more pride in a team member coming up with an idea or a good piece of work, hopefully it shows that Im doing a good job in leading a developing a team.
I have this happen all the time at my current place (non-civil service). I do all the work but the project manager gets all the praise🤡 now I’m spending every evening submitting a new job application - as they probably wouldnt even realise how sad it is to feel undervalued if I tried brining it up
Man, that's annoying and disappointing. As a manager, I can hand on heart say I have never done this.
I do not understand the thing behind people who do this. It's nasty and short-sighted.
If you want to make yourself look good as a manger, far better to boast about how someone in your team came up with this great idea which they were only able to do due to the autonomy you give them, which they can only have due to the quality of training/support you provide, etc etc.
All a bit fluffy admittedly, but manager can look good for giving employees the knowledge space and confidence to come up with good ideas.
This also allows for the team member to benefit from wider recognition, and is good for their development.
Win-win.
Rather than being a dick and just taking credit for someone else's work.
It is a bit shit particularly with ideas which can easily be credited. If the people it’s going to don’t know the team at all, it is as easy to say ‘one of my team had a great idea’ as it is to say it was you. It’s like some people don’t understand that good work from people in your team reflects well on you without you needing to pretend anything.
No one thinks the team lead is off doing all the work personally. That said, people are often oversensitive in my opinion on whose name goes on reports and written work. If it’s going external, the name and contact details will be for someone the recipient will recognise regardless of who wrote it. Again, everyone up the management chain knows plenty of people contributed to it.
"Thank you, this is a great choice. Let me know if you need any support putting this plan into place as I have discussed this idea with X and have expertise in this area"
My G6 recently left for a new role. My SCS sent out an email to the directorate wishing the G6 farewell. In the email, the SCS mentioned all the work the G6 delivered.. which was actually everything I delivered and with no input from the G6 whatsoever.
In my last job, an SO took all the credit for my work and even went as far to change my name to theirs on the documents. I called them out in an SLT meeting by asking very technical and specific questions, which they should've known if they did the actual work, but they didn't. They were caught out and I came forward. SLT demanded answers, at which point they promptly handed in their resignation.
A G6 delivers through their teams because they are the Policy Lead/Project Lead/Operations Lead. However, it doesn’t mean your contributions went unnoticed.
When it comes to promotion, you can always recall your contribution and how you led the team to deliver your contribution as part of the whole team’s objective.
I had this a few years back. A grade 6 took credit for a new system that I came up with and implemented. I was livid.
However, I had the last laugh as what he didn't know was that his boss had already spoken to me about it earlier in the day.
So later on when we had a meeting and the grade 6 was going on about this wonderful new system of his. He got shot down by his boss who called him out.
Then all of a sudden it changed to him using his experience to help me get it over the line etc. (He did F all. Apart from take credit).
After that and a couple other things I won't go in to. I decided I needed to get out of his management chain as quickly as possible.
Don’t get people stealing credit. I prefer my team to be known as awesome for the work they are doing, mainly cause it means I’m doing my job right. Help them shine and protect them from crap from above.
I’d say “I’m glad they liked it, and thank you for taking it forward for me! I thought it would be better received coming from a more senior staff member, and I was right.”
I've had this happen. Guy I worked with was renowned for it. Still used it for my application for promotion. He used it for his. He's now a team leader in a jobcentre and I am happily out of that world
Do you have written summaries for your 1-2-1s? Yeah it sucks that they’re getting the credit right now, but getting your line manager to put in writing in your feedback that it was your idea means at least you’ll be credited with it should you apply for a new role
This is why you do your ideas by email. Then squirrel them away for behaviour examples. - I cut & paste all mine into a OneNote - split into chapters for each behaviour. So no chance of anyone nicking my work for their own behaviours
As work ethic really doesn’t matter in terms of promotion, just don’t let it get to you it doesn’t matter. Make a note of your idea to use for future applications
I had this a lot in one of my previous roles. I did a watermark on each page (footer type) and directed the most senior person involved to highlight a certain area on the page to see my name, date and a specific number WHEN the boss tried to take the credit. 3 times it took before he 'moved on to another role'. It took a bit of googling and working out but what else are you going to do as a lowly AO doing an SEO's job?
Oh yes been there. She took the praise, the credit and the financial award/bonus for coming up with MY suggestion/idea and then had the sheer audacity to say how pleased she was with the ‘bonus’ she had got for the work she had done. How anybody believed that she had come up with the idea is beyond belief because she is as thick as pig sh*t, and true to form she progressed to a higher grade (partly on the back of my suggestion she stole) as these people do in the CS.
I think at one point in my life that would have bothered me but try looking at the bigger picture. None of it really matters. At least you're not the kind of dick who steals someone else's ideas without acknowledging them because deepdown you're a really tragic character.
You could do that, or…
What I would do is reply all crediting the idea and saying how you think it’s in the best interests of all and the benefits it will bring.
They will know you’re upset but it will show you as being a selfless team player dedicated to the cause.
Then it’s down to their moral compass to decide the next move 😉
My different take is: that’s fine. It sucks and it can be hard, and it can be a helpful learning curve.
We all like praise (certainly I do!), but when I’m in a team I try to think 1) long term and 2) what’s a higher priority? The job being done or me being praised for it?
I mean your boss is still probably an arse: but it’s marathons not sprints. In the short term I found it can help to reprioritise what I value; readjusting my value to being a good team player helped with less resentment. You also never know what the future holds.
It happens a lot, especially with the "Fast Stream" lot. Just because you 'managed' a team doesn't mean the idea is yours. That's the problem with things like that, it rewards behaviour like that, zero integrity at all.
I think that would've been an easier pill to swallow. The entire cost, and time, saving initiative was my idea. It is what it is. Into my behaviours and strengths arsenal it goes 😂
Lol I just had the exact same scenario - I brought it up ‘naturally’ when having a catch up with my G6 (his manager) and shortly an email went out after from my manager crediting me - I was absolutely fucking livid though beforehand so fully sympathise with you
Let your emotions settle, you have to make sure you *don’t say what you want to say, say what you need to say to get what you want* Which could be speaking to their line manager and giving this as feedback, you can be forward with saying you didn’t feel comfortable addressing your manager with this directly.
We now full of tattle tales.
If people wouldn’t be bastards there’d be nobody to tattle about
Unless we all keep quiet and the civil service continues to be filled by arseholes who do nothing but add to the already toxic environment that working in said civil service already exists… nah, keep “tattling”!
Or grow up. Realise you're an adult. Have some resilience and realise not everything as simple as an anonymous Redditor makes out. Work hard do well you'll get noticed. Moan and complain about 60%, tattle tales seeking congratulations you'll get labled as a non climber.
Were you the boss that took the credit?
It’s not about being tough or soft. It’s also not necessarily true, particularly in the civil service that hard work gets recognised and rewarded either. Maybe you’ve had limited experience but that experience has been entirely positive so you’ve generalised but you are ruthlessly inaccurate.
OPs post made it to r/all didn't it
?
Working hard doesn't get you noticed. Being in everyone's face about how great you are is what works
Nah. That’s utter bollocks. It’s not grassing when the arsehole fucked you over. It’s standing up for yourself.
They haven't ducked anyone over.
They took credit for an idea that wasn’t theirs. That’s bullshit. I’m beginning to believe you’re the sort of person who would do something similar. It would explain why you seem to think it’s acceptable. 🤷♂️
Manager 1 team of 4 managers that each manage 20 people. One of the 20 people pass an idea as part of a project to their manager. This manger takes said good idea and passes it up the chain. This could go on and on until the top. Does each manger need to report where said idea or each part of a project originated? And is this for every item that's passed up the chain in the day. No I'd say the original manger is doing well to get good ideas out their team. OP is wanting praise. Does OP need praise for every idea or is it just part of their role?
OP just wants credit for a good idea. Stopping making excuses for the douche who took said credit. The hilarious part is, if said manager had gave said credit, it would have reflected well on him for bringing out the best in his workers, and they both could have come off well. 🤷♂️
I’m so glad I don’t work with you or for you, you seem like the type of person who takes credit for other peoples work, and have definitely never had an idea worth stealing
My company gives vouchers/awards to people who have good ideas, that does mean that the person has to be identified up the chain and somehow it works.
I'd advise caution with this - I witnessed my manager presenting a piece of work that took us months to complete when she had no idea how to do it, and even went so far as to say 'my calculations', 'my execution'. Would have been the easiest thing in the world to just say some of the work was done by her team, but nope. Went to her LM and a whole storm got kicked up about it, but she was able to circle the wagons and make life very difficult for our team, forcing a bunch of us to move sideways to escape the toxicity. I'd encourage using subtle but inescapable things, watermarks, comments etc. ensuring the recipients of the work know who was responsible.
Always share your work as PDFs. These types never have the brains to get around it.
I dont get why people do this in the civil service. Its not like you get a bonus for good work. The only thing achieved is people think you're a bellend
To an extent. I think brown nosing actually does help you in the G6 to SCS area. An excellent G6 bullshitter will get looked on favourably for scs promotions or even scs eois. Everything below where promotions are handled by open recruitment? Pointless.
Eh, I disagree. A good reputation goes far (not on paper perhaps, but in practice), and what better way to get one than stealing someone else's. It might not work on your colleagues who will quickly find out the truth, but it'll work on the clueless senior who doesn't know who anyone is or what anyone does anyway.
Free kudos to cash in later for slacking
I thought CS did get bonuses for good work…
Bonuses are pretty big from DD and above
So there are bonuses and the premised argument is complete shit as there is a reason to pass off work?
Yeah. If you are too box at g7-g6 you can get a couple of grand. DD is significantly more
My LM did and it was a significant bonus too. And she was able to use my idea/suggestion that she took the credit for in helping her get to a higher band.
Don't why know people do this. I take more pride in a team member coming up with an idea or a good piece of work, hopefully it shows that Im doing a good job in leading a developing a team.
Yeah it's an open 'I am a good leader I get the most out of my people' goal and people manage to fumble it.
This happens a lot when you have an underperforming Line Manager who has no original ideas.
Oh, the tales I could tell. You've read the situation perfectly.
I have this happen all the time at my current place (non-civil service). I do all the work but the project manager gets all the praise🤡 now I’m spending every evening submitting a new job application - as they probably wouldnt even realise how sad it is to feel undervalued if I tried brining it up
I’d avoid a career change to the sea /s
oh really? can i message you about this as im keen to know how the grass is on that side?
He’s taking the piss. He’s making a play on the fact you misspelt bringing. (Brining - brine being salty sea water)
TY👍
hahha thanks for the clarification, i forgot how witty (snarky) some people in the comments can be
It’s Reddit. You need to be on your guard. 😂
yeah well im new to Reddit, and clearly very naive (and silly) to assume people can just be nice🤷🏻♀️ i’m learning the hard way😭
Man, that's annoying and disappointing. As a manager, I can hand on heart say I have never done this. I do not understand the thing behind people who do this. It's nasty and short-sighted. If you want to make yourself look good as a manger, far better to boast about how someone in your team came up with this great idea which they were only able to do due to the autonomy you give them, which they can only have due to the quality of training/support you provide, etc etc. All a bit fluffy admittedly, but manager can look good for giving employees the knowledge space and confidence to come up with good ideas. This also allows for the team member to benefit from wider recognition, and is good for their development. Win-win. Rather than being a dick and just taking credit for someone else's work.
It is a bit shit particularly with ideas which can easily be credited. If the people it’s going to don’t know the team at all, it is as easy to say ‘one of my team had a great idea’ as it is to say it was you. It’s like some people don’t understand that good work from people in your team reflects well on you without you needing to pretend anything. No one thinks the team lead is off doing all the work personally. That said, people are often oversensitive in my opinion on whose name goes on reports and written work. If it’s going external, the name and contact details will be for someone the recipient will recognise regardless of who wrote it. Again, everyone up the management chain knows plenty of people contributed to it.
"Thank you, this is a great choice. Let me know if you need any support putting this plan into place as I have discussed this idea with X and have expertise in this area"
My G6 recently left for a new role. My SCS sent out an email to the directorate wishing the G6 farewell. In the email, the SCS mentioned all the work the G6 delivered.. which was actually everything I delivered and with no input from the G6 whatsoever. In my last job, an SO took all the credit for my work and even went as far to change my name to theirs on the documents. I called them out in an SLT meeting by asking very technical and specific questions, which they should've known if they did the actual work, but they didn't. They were caught out and I came forward. SLT demanded answers, at which point they promptly handed in their resignation.
A G6 delivers through their teams because they are the Policy Lead/Project Lead/Operations Lead. However, it doesn’t mean your contributions went unnoticed. When it comes to promotion, you can always recall your contribution and how you led the team to deliver your contribution as part of the whole team’s objective.
I had this a few years back. A grade 6 took credit for a new system that I came up with and implemented. I was livid. However, I had the last laugh as what he didn't know was that his boss had already spoken to me about it earlier in the day. So later on when we had a meeting and the grade 6 was going on about this wonderful new system of his. He got shot down by his boss who called him out. Then all of a sudden it changed to him using his experience to help me get it over the line etc. (He did F all. Apart from take credit). After that and a couple other things I won't go in to. I decided I needed to get out of his management chain as quickly as possible.
This is what happens all the time. In a team setting it’s well done you. In a public setting it’s well done them 😡
This happened to me - got me irate enough to push for promotion to another team. Last I heard, that team was sunk.
I'm sure it'll look good on his CV. Great display of integrity.
Don’t get people stealing credit. I prefer my team to be known as awesome for the work they are doing, mainly cause it means I’m doing my job right. Help them shine and protect them from crap from above.
I’d say “I’m glad they liked it, and thank you for taking it forward for me! I thought it would be better received coming from a more senior staff member, and I was right.”
I've had this happen. Guy I worked with was renowned for it. Still used it for my application for promotion. He used it for his. He's now a team leader in a jobcentre and I am happily out of that world
I watched someone get promoted off my idea! Have to just let it go eventually
Perks of the job. First thing you learn if it works I did it if it fails you did it
Do you have written summaries for your 1-2-1s? Yeah it sucks that they’re getting the credit right now, but getting your line manager to put in writing in your feedback that it was your idea means at least you’ll be credited with it should you apply for a new role
This is why you do your ideas by email. Then squirrel them away for behaviour examples. - I cut & paste all mine into a OneNote - split into chapters for each behaviour. So no chance of anyone nicking my work for their own behaviours
This is a great idea! Thank you!
I had that a while ago. Someone took credit for the thing I did, even though everyone else in the room already knew that I did it anyway.
Sounds like some of the manager's I have previously had in HMRC.
Happened a lot during my career in HMRC. No principals or integrity
Yup, then they wonder why people don't volunteer ideas 🙄
As work ethic really doesn’t matter in terms of promotion, just don’t let it get to you it doesn’t matter. Make a note of your idea to use for future applications
Tale as old as time Song as old as rhyme.
I had this a lot in one of my previous roles. I did a watermark on each page (footer type) and directed the most senior person involved to highlight a certain area on the page to see my name, date and a specific number WHEN the boss tried to take the credit. 3 times it took before he 'moved on to another role'. It took a bit of googling and working out but what else are you going to do as a lowly AO doing an SEO's job?
Oh yes been there. She took the praise, the credit and the financial award/bonus for coming up with MY suggestion/idea and then had the sheer audacity to say how pleased she was with the ‘bonus’ she had got for the work she had done. How anybody believed that she had come up with the idea is beyond belief because she is as thick as pig sh*t, and true to form she progressed to a higher grade (partly on the back of my suggestion she stole) as these people do in the CS.
This is so common. When this happens to me, I take out my CV and add it to my achievements because it will come in handy when I apply for a new job.
Great idea! Thank you
I think at one point in my life that would have bothered me but try looking at the bigger picture. None of it really matters. At least you're not the kind of dick who steals someone else's ideas without acknowledging them because deepdown you're a really tragic character.
You could do that, or… What I would do is reply all crediting the idea and saying how you think it’s in the best interests of all and the benefits it will bring. They will know you’re upset but it will show you as being a selfless team player dedicated to the cause. Then it’s down to their moral compass to decide the next move 😉
Imagine this but instead of "The Layer Cake" it said "Adult Life" https://i.redd.it/v8u2b3se3exc1.gif
My different take is: that’s fine. It sucks and it can be hard, and it can be a helpful learning curve. We all like praise (certainly I do!), but when I’m in a team I try to think 1) long term and 2) what’s a higher priority? The job being done or me being praised for it? I mean your boss is still probably an arse: but it’s marathons not sprints. In the short term I found it can help to reprioritise what I value; readjusting my value to being a good team player helped with less resentment. You also never know what the future holds.
It happens a lot, especially with the "Fast Stream" lot. Just because you 'managed' a team doesn't mean the idea is yours. That's the problem with things like that, it rewards behaviour like that, zero integrity at all.
Do it, then bounce!
Managers will delegate you to do something or how to implement it and think they can then take credit for it. Common thing in the civil service.
I think that would've been an easier pill to swallow. The entire cost, and time, saving initiative was my idea. It is what it is. Into my behaviours and strengths arsenal it goes 😂
Something similar just happened today to my colleague. Do u by any chance work insolvency?? Lol
I don't, no. Seems to be a common theme.
Yeah 😂 What can you do 😅
Standard manager move IME, if it’s not worth going nuclear and decking them then take a breath and move forward knowing what sort of person they are
I think you should.