Help! My Boss Stole My Great Idea!

I came up with a great idea that I brought to my boss, and now he’s claiming the idea as his own without giving me proper credit. Where's the line?

I can give you the names of a few guys who could solve this problem the old-fashioned way, but that’s not going to look too good on your resume. You gotta think this one through before you act.

This first thing you have to ask yourself is, is this an isolated incident or a pattern? If it’s a one-time deal, then hey, talk to your boss face-to-face and let him or her know that kind of crap isn't going to fly (though you should probably say it more gently). If it’s a pattern, then it’s time to take real action. As George W. Bush once tried to say, “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.”

This issue boils down to one word: trust. If you can’t trust your boss, then your work will suffer. “This kind of situation would be to the detriment of the entire company,” according to Marianne Miller, an associate professor of marketing at Virginia Commonwealth University. “It stifles creativity and erodes the trust you need to run a successful business.”

Nobody likes a snitch, so before you make that scary walk to your boss’ boss, you should run your complaint by a coworker you trust for a reality-check to make sure you’ve got your head on straight. If this is a pattern, line up some documentation to prove it. Positive work performance will positively impact your compensation and advancement; empty complaints will do the opposite. Build your case before you hand down the indictment. But the biggest question you should ask yourself is: Why am I working for this fool? A boss deserves credit for putting employees in positions where they can excel. If that’s not enough and they’re constantly trying to steal your glory, then it’s time to dust off your resume.

Have a workplace-ethics dilemma? Ask it here, or email wherestheline@gmail.com.