I work for a major advertising agency but a couple of days ago I overheard my co-worker taking credit for a presentation I worked all night on, and accepting praise for winning an account I spent months cultivating. I don’t know if she’s deceptive or just oblivious, but either way she’s hogging the limelight for work I did. How do I tackle this issue?
PB, Abu Dhabi
Organisations today tend to strive for collaboration and teamwork where it is not always evident who has done what, and it can be exasperating when co-workers try to take credit for your ideas and hard work. However much we want our work to speak for itself and to believe that credit will be given where it is due, the reality all too often is that this is not the case. The work we are known for plays an important part in creating an overall picture of the worth we bring to the organisation, impacting future assignments and promotion decisions.
Some people want reward without having to lift a finger, happily using others' hard work to claim the credit for themselves. This is no less true for Bob Kane, creator of Batman. If it wasn't for the creative genius of Bill Finger, who produced the backstory for the comic superhero, the character would have never been successful. Unfortunately, Kane not only stole the credit and became a multimillionaire, but also refused to pay Finger any money – leaving him so poor that he did not even have a proper funeral. In 1989, 15 years after Finger's death, Kane eventually acknowledged his contributions. It wasn't until 2014 that Finger's name appeared in the 75th anniversary reissue of the first Batman edition and in 2015 he was finally credited on the Batman vs Superman movie.
Let’s look at how you may tackle your issue. As you accurately say, you are not sure where she is coming from – is she being deceptive or oblivious? There is a possibility that her behaviour is unintentional, so as infuriating as it can be, it is important to remain calm and not act on an emotional high where you are less able to make your point professionally. Consider the situation and ask questions to help you better understand what is going on. Instead of making accusations, frame your claim as a question. For instance, you may mention that you happened to hear her conversation, and was curious to know why she presented it in the way she did?
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This will give your colleague the chance to recognise what she has done, and it forces her to provide a rationale for taking undue credit. Furthermore, it helps you set boundaries by addressing what has taken place. The message you want to get across is that you noticed what she did and that you do not think it was appropriate.
Best case scenario will see your colleague admitting her mistake, after which you can discuss how to rectify the situation. In the event of her not doing this, you are still able to take action by yourself. Be the advocate of your own efforts and involvement by speaking up in meetings or sharing your contributions that are appropriately linked to discussions via channels such as email and informal office communications. You can also ask other colleagues to share your contributions in meetings or conversations you are not part of.
When working on collaborative projects in the future, agree upfront how credit will be allocated whilst remaining flexible for proportionate contribution changes. You also want to be seen to model good credit sharing by intentionally giving recognition to those who deserve it.
On a related note, it is worth mentioning that leaders who take credit for their employees’ work lose the engagement of their best people and eventually find it difficult to retain talent. Similarly, leaders who take all the praise when things go well and avoid taking any blame when things go wrong, quickly get a reputation that inevitably derail their own careers.
Doctor’s prescription:
Although you don’t need to get credit for every single thing you do, it is important to take steps to ensure that your valuable contributions are known to not only your colleagues, but also to those you report to. Be clear about who did what, and enlist the help of others to support you as and when needed.
Banned items
Dubai Police has also issued a list of banned items at the ground on Sunday. These include:
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Political flags or banners
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Bikes, skateboards or scooters
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
A list of the animal rescue organisations in the UAE
What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
MATCH INFO
Real Madrid 2
Vinicius Junior (71') Mariano (90 2')
Barcelona 0
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The biog
Simon Nadim has completed 7,000 dives.
The hardest dive in the UAE is the German U-boat 110m down off the Fujairah coast.
As a child, he loved the documentaries of Jacques Cousteau
He also led a team that discovered the long-lost portion of the Ines oil tanker.
If you are interested in diving, he runs the XR Hub Dive Centre in Fujairah
The biog
Name: Ayisha Abdulrahman Gareb
Age: 57
From: Kalba
Occupation: Mukrema, though she washes bodies without charge
Favourite things to do: Visiting patients at the hospital and give them the support they need.
Role model: Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women's Union, Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation and President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood.
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
The specs: 2019 GMC Yukon Denali
Price, base: Dh306,500
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Power: 420hp @ 5,600rpm
Torque: 621Nm @ 4,100rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.9L / 100km
RACE CARD
5pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (Turf) 2,200m
5.30pm: Khor Al Baghal – Conditions (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m
6pm: Khor Faridah – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m
6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Fillies Classic – Prestige (PA) Dh110,000 (T) 1,400m
7pm: Abu Dhabi Colts Classic – Prestige (PA) Dh110,000 (T) 1,400m
7.30pm: Khor Laffam – Handicap (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 2,200m
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Name: Peter Dicce
Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics
Favourite sport: soccer
Favourite team: Bayern Munich
Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer
Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates
T10 Cricket League
Sharjah Cricket Stadium
December 14- 17
6pm, Opening ceremony, followed by:
Bengal Tigers v Kerala Kings
Maratha Arabians v Pakhtoons
Tickets available online at q-tickets.com/t10
West Asia Premiership
Dubai Hurricanes 58-10 Dubai Knights Eagles
Dubai Tigers 5-39 Bahrain
Jebel Ali Dragons 16-56 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
The%20specs
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