How do you deal with a credit-stealing boss?

Are you working for your boss or for yourself? If I work for someone I work for them.

Bosses steal credit. That is what they do. That is why you aren’t the boss but he or she is. That is like asking why the government collects taxes.

It was noble of you to volunteer to help, but what was in it for you to do so? If I were you I would have minded my own business since I do not have any vested interest in the project and instead would work on my own project and responsibilities. . . . and as already stated, the boss is the boss.

Find another job, then report her credit stealing to the Department head or Top of the food chain in writing. In future jobs keep a log of your work and productivity to back you up better.

Your boss can take your credit because you’re not being proactive. You took the initiative of doing the work, but if you communicate with people more and update them on your progress, you can take credit for the work before your boss does. E-mail can b very helpful here. If you use e-mail to communicate, you have written proof of everything. CC people on other teams or your upper managers when the information is relevant to them. Include other people in meetings besides just yourself and your boss when possible. Ask more questions and come up with more suggestions, to a greater variety of people, rather than just getting work done. It sounds wrong, but innovation and communication are very valuable, too. The point of all this is that you’ll be seen as a proactive, productive person and people will take more notice of you and your work. Your boss may still try to take credit, but she will be less successful.

Stop volunteering to do the work she can’t (or won’t) deal with. Ask to start a project from beginning to end, then the credit goes totally to yourself.

Well, the reason I volunteered to do the work was because I could see that the project was going off the rails and would have resulted in a poor quality piece of junk if nobody stepped in. I knew that I had some skills & knowledge that could help & with a little bit of work I could make a huge difference and improve the end result dramatically. Everyone else involved in the project was giving it half-assed attention and it needed more than that to do a good job. The other reason I volunteered is that I saw the opportunity to make it a highlight project on my record (ie. one that I could use later to launch into other jobs). So I seized it – I usually do not offer to do my boss’s work – it was just this time because there was a lot in it for me (looks good on resume & an opportunity to demonstrate my full capabilities to my boss & her boss).

@Haleth – thanks – that is the kind of strategy I’m thinking about – I was going to start dropping hints and casually mentioning my work on the project to more people in the office & at meetings so that they are all aware. It’s a fine balance though because I don’t want people to think I’m bragging or being petty (which I am and this time I deserve it!) You make a good point about involving more people in the meetings – I wish I could come up with an excuse to invite my boss’s boss to the meeting so that she could see what is really going on. I’m also going to mention it in emails when possible.