What to do when your ideas are used by others and you're not recognized?

[aigel]

Nostatic is right: The idea is only the start of a project. I work in high-tech and we joke sometimes saying "ideas are cheap". The real art is to get them implemented and make sure they actually work.

For the specifics of the wife here, I would recommend the following:

Continue to be creative and give input but also implement the idea yourself. This will go recognized - maybe not in the newsletter, but every worker and manager generally knows who has ideas and gets things done. It takes good self-esteem to go this passive route - something you may have to work on.

Every company has a performance evaluation at which you generally get to describe your contributions. Make sure you list them. It is not uncommon that several people claim a task as theirs - it is called team work. Every performance review generally has a section in which you plan for next year. In this section make sure to include tasks that you would like to work on. If you sign on for organizing the supply room in your performance review, you will be able to be graded against that plan.

I would under no circumstances, after the fact, go and say "hey, that was my idea". That is petty and whiny, IMHO and will only irritate everyone involved. It doesn't sound like any of the work going unrecognized is major, so just let it go and make sure you get the future stuff on your performance review, better before you start than after the fact.

HTH,

G

[Racerbvd]

This is a sore subject with me
Years ago, the Mayor of a small town not far from me asked me create an event that could be done annually that would bring in out of town people, and that could be grown to a major regional draw.
One of the reasons the Mayor approached me (other than we served on a few committees together and I'm in the Promotional biz) is that he knew I was a guy guy and had set up smaller, regional Club Events.

He was offering the use of a former Naval Air Base, where I could do a Pomona type event, German based, and with the ability to host not only a large multie Marque German car Oktoberfest Concours, Swap-Meet, Auto-X & Drag Race, all under the blessing & umbrella of the local town. since on of my duties with the local PCA was to Create & set up events, I figured that my Region would be the base, and I would involve the BMW, Mercedes & VW (both air cooled & water cooled) to make a true German Auto-Fest. Anyone who actually knows me, knows that when ever I do an event, a lot of planning goes in and I take the time need to do it right. So at one of our local PCA board meeting, I give my presentation, also also out line the fact that because of the size that we should take a year to plan & promote (to make sure everything was dialed in. Well, a loser(he wasn't even a PCA member, but a Benz guy) who was hanging out with one of his buddies since his wife dumped him liked me plans too, so much that he took it to a buddy of his who managed a new resort and they loved my idea, so much that they rushed it, cut out the driving part, treated the old school VW people (including a buddy with a super sweet 63 Bug, VW Trend Cover car) like crap,
Made all the VW & older non= Benzs owners feel like 2nd class citizens. When it was brought up at one of our PCA board meeting about this "new" event I was BOILING and I asked how my "plans" ended up being used for someone elses event, the MB loser told he,

I thought it was a good idea so I told my buddy they should do it

The only reason I didn't sue (and I had my attorney ready and I had the documentation to back me) was that place was also a client of mine for other business.. They have used that same theme with other cars & motorcycles. Anytime I see alex, I just want to beat his loser, thieving ass.

[rattlsnak]

My wife had this happen to her a few times and it upset her tremendously as someone else was taking the credit.

Here was her fix: Most of her ideas were presentations made on PowerPoint, or Excel, etc, and then someone down the line would get a hold of it, and take full credit for it. What we did was to put her name and a date on the main background template, BUT in the same color as the background, so nobody could see it. Add in a simple mouse over command that reversed the colors and it was there plain as day. We also did a few other variations to this, but it work flawlessly. Same guy trying to take full credit and during the presentation her name popped up.. She said it was the most satisfying day of her career, as everybody turned to ask her questions and ignored him.

[Joe Bob]

Post it on a blog....it's date stamped.

[Zeke]

Interestingly enough, if the idea you have involves capital investment, a strategy is to leak the idea and let some greedy sumbchit run with it doing all the ground work. You can take two tacks from the point where he becomes successful: sue his ass or create the competition using his technology, changing it a small amount for the better and outdoing him in quality, sales and service.

The second one seems rather gratifying to me.