DEAR HARRIETTE: I have been working on a project for six months, and at a companywide meeting, my boss took all the credit for the work that I have done. Yes, it was for our team, but he did nothing, and I did it all, yet he acted like he was the victor. I was so mad.
I’m not sure what to do. Complaining may make me seem petty, but I am so angry that he didn’t give me or his team any credit for the hard work we have been doing to get to where we are now. Is there anything I can say that may open his eyes for the next time? He is usually a thoughtful boss, but overlooking me and the rest of the team for all of the work we did felt like a slap in the face. -- Overlooked
DEAR OVERLOOKED: If you can frame your concern so that it doesn’t seem personal, you may be able to get the message across to your boss. For example, perhaps you can congratulate your boss on presenting successfully at the companywide meeting while adding that it might be good for him to say something to the team about how hard they worked on the project that he mentioned. Gently point out that while he talked about it, he did not acknowledge the people who worked to make it happen. In this way, you point out what is obvious to you without directly criticizing him.