This is the Business English Podcast, episode 352.
How to give credit for new ideas at work.
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Hey Michelle, how are you today?
I'm good, Lindsay. How are you?
Good, but I have a question for you.
Okay, let's hear it.
All right. Has it ever happened that someone has taken an idea from you and presented it as their own?
Is that ever happened to you in your career?
You know, I can't think of a specific example, but sometimes it might be just a little thing, you know, it doesn't, this doesn't have to be necessarily a gigantic, somebody stole an entire presentation.
I did, you know, but it could be somebody didn't realize something was my idea and then they say it or you know, something like that.
So it could be a totally innocent thing.
Yeah. And then a lot of times that person will then explain it, which I think is the key for today, right?
You mean explain that it was your idea or explain the idea, right?
Explain that it wasn't their idea if they realize, oh wait, because sometimes do you ever feel like, oh, you were just talking about something.
Yeah, you're not sure, you know, you were just brainstorming with somebody and you, of course, of course.
So you don't know who said it or whatever, because the goal of a good brainstorm is just getting good ideas.
And so sometimes it doesn't matter.
But then it's really important, you know, especially if the idea elevates to the chosen idea, right?
To let make sure people know that, you know, who came up with it.
And that's what we're getting into today.
All right. Right. And then it's interesting because then sometimes, well, we can talk about this later, like if it really matters, if you're like on a collaborative team, as long as that person isn't really saying, well, my idea, right?
So yeah, that it's interesting.
It's like, does it do, is it really just about your ego?
Oh, you have to know it was my idea.
So we can talk about that in a second.
It's a good point. But before we get into it a little deeper, we want to remind our listeners, hit that follow button, everyone hit follow, because when you do our episodes drop right into your queue, so you don't have to go searching for business English.
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All right. Love it.
Yes. All right. So yeah, this is about giving credit to others.
I mean, let's say like we said, we're in a brainstorming session.
We want to bring up someone else's idea.
We don't want it to let's say this is a situation where we know, right?
We know that it was somebody else's idea.
We were just bringing it up because it makes sense here.
So in this situation, if you really know for sure, this was somebody else's idea.
You want to give them credit.
Of course, and especially earlier on, right?
Earlier on when the idea surfaces because it's going to be awkward later.
If that person gets upset if that idea develops into something big like a product, the other person might be quite upset if you don't let people know and people do need to have credit because sometimes the managerial level doesn't always know who who's coming up with these things or who's driving these
things. And so some people might be providing value, but the management isn't aware of that, right?
Yeah, super, super important.
Yeah, yeah. Exactly.
Yeah, so we need what we need that skill.
If you're if you are sharing somebody else's idea and you want to give them credit for this idea.
You know that it's their idea and you know, it would sound weird if you didn't give them credit.
So we're going to talk about how to give that how you can give an idea.
You can mention someone's idea, but give that person credit at the same time.
Excellent. Exactly.
It doesn't mean you can't say the idea.
Just need to give credit.
So here's exactly how we do it.
And I would say for our listeners, everyone write this down, right?
You're going to want these phrases or listen again after you'll listen again a day later, just so you remember these phrases.
So here is the first one.
I have to give X credit for this.
Can you give us a sample sentence, a context?
Okay, so here we go.
I have to give Lindsay credit for this.
I do think we should look into our spending because we could save in so many ways.
Nice. Yes. So you basically gave the credit and then you moved on to the idea to say what it is.
So you don't need to dwell on it.
Lindsay came up with this blah blah blah.
You don't need to dwell on it, but you need to get into the idea, but it is important to give that credit.
Okay, yes. Another one.
Yeah, go ahead Michelle.
Then another one is this goes back to X's idea.
So the person's idea.
Perfect. This goes back to Michelle's idea of attending some community festivals to spread the word about our company.
And this is just a way that it might come up in a different context.
Yeah, right. Right, exactly.
Or this one, you don't necessarily say that it doesn't have the person's name in the expression.
So you can use that.
You can use it by itself as well.
But here we go. I have to give credit where credit is due.
Yeah, right. Jazz and then finishing it.
Right. So I have to give credit where credit is due.
Jasmine came up with that incredible marketing idea.
Okay. Yeah, and that's a pretty famous phrase.
Yeah, isn't it? It's pretty well known.
Credit where credit is due.
Absolutely. Yeah, this is a big one, I think.
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Okay, Michelle. And there's one more, which would be useful.
Oh, no, I think this next one is this was actually X's idea.
And this is very straightforward.
This was actually Paul's idea, but I think we should consider what will happen five years down the line, not just one.
Yes. And then I'll do one more.
So I don't know if you heard or I don't know if you knew but X was saying that.
So here we go. I don't know if you heard but Chelsea actually.
Oh, this is a little different.
Chelsea actually suggested having a whole task force on this plan.
Yeah, and that so I don't know if you heard new but but actually guess what's saying that mentioning or mention that there's a lot of ways you could fill in the blank there, right?
Yeah, yeah. So I mean these are really important for connection because you want that person to get the credit again.
We were talking a little about ego.
I mean if you're in a brainstorming session and everybody's throwing out a hundred things and it seems like a little something small and you're not really sure who came up with it.
We have to think about like if you okay.
Let's say Lindsay, let's say you're in a meeting and you're doing brainstorming and everybody's throwing out ideas.
It's going really fast.
And then that person mentions to a manager this idea and they don't give you credit now.
Do you mean that person mentions in like in a separate?
So so my idea is always my idea that I threw out there.
Right. You had thrown it out there, but a lot of ideas were getting thrown out.
Do you think it's hard?
It's hard because I've heard about I've heard about this happening in the corporate world, you know, and I think as much as you possibly can even if you don't think it matters paying attention to who is throwing out the ideas and calling that person out.
You know, initially when you do bring the management the idea to your manager can't hurt.
It can never hurt. You know, it could hurt.
It could hurt not doing it.
Not doing right. It's better to be safe and do it than sorry and then you kind of risk hurting that relationship hurting that connection.
Maybe that person won't want to share their ideas with you anymore.
Yeah, for sure. I mean don't be that person that basically just repackages everyone's ideas and presents them to management so that you're seen in a better light that don't be that person.
I know those people exist.
I've heard about it in the corporate world.
Yeah, it's important for connection.
It's important for risk.
It's more than just connection.
It's respect, right?
Yes, it is respect.
I mean, but let's okay.
I mean, this is interesting.
Let's say you're that person and I mean, this could be a whole other episode, but this is a sticky situation.
If you are the person and someone told your idea now, do you think you try and tell the boss it was your idea?
Do you talk to that person because it also feels then you're putting then you're in an awkward situation because you don't want to be like, well, that was actually my idea.
That can be annoying too.
So, of course, I think that's why you don't want to put that person into that situation.
Yeah, better to not let it happen.
But if you are the person whose idea essentially got taken and again, we're all just creating these ideas in service of the company, but yeah, it does matter your individual contribution.
Maybe I would save it for like a one -on -one with my boss to say something about the generation of that idea.
I came up with this when I was, you know, when I was looking at our numbers last quarter, maybe that might be the way I would do it instead of saying it in a group.
Actually, that was my idea.
That would just be awkward.
Yeah, yeah, exactly.
Yeah, sounds a little funny.
So, all right. So should we do a role play?
Yes. So here we are working together and we're in a meeting.
Okay. Yes. All right.
So how should we run this event?
Well, this was actually Anastasia's idea, but I think it has to be earlier than usual and we need a larger team.
True. It is a good idea.
I have to give credit where credit is due.
She comes up with great ideas.
Oh, she definitely does.
And also, so this goes back to Patrick's idea getting new swag to pass out will be key.
Oh, I definitely agree.
I have to give Samantha credit for this.
She should, we should look into these new t -shirts that are so popular.
Yes. We're giving a lot of credit here, right?
You might not hear quite as much credit for different deals in a typical conversation, right?
But yes, if it's something big and it's going to turn out to be a major initiative for a company and a major value creator, this new idea, people should know who generated the idea originally.
But it's just hard because sometimes ideas build on each other.
Like one person has one piece and then the other person has the second.
It's together than the third person.
So it's not always, you know, we have to go with our guts here or gut feeling.
Yeah. I agree. Yeah.
Better be safe than sorry, but if it's kind of convoluted and everything is kind of flowing together, you could even say just something like, oh, yeah, we were all talking about this and we came up.
You know, you could say we, but if there is something very specific, really, really try.
Yeah, for sure. So we started and then you said, so how should we run this event?
And I immediately gave credit to Anastasia.
I said, well, this was actually Anastasia's idea, but I think it has to be earlier than usual and we need a larger team.
So I'm basically just sharing what Anastasia had said, right?
And then I said true.
It is a good idea. And then you use this expression.
I have to give up. I have to give credit where credit is due.
She comes up with great ideas.
Good. And then I said and also, so this goes back to Patrick's idea.
Listen to my intonation there for all this.
This is really interesting for pronunciation.
And also, so this goes back to Patrick's idea, getting new swag to pass out will be key.
This is chunked up into three distinct pieces, and I kind of take a break in the middle of the sentence.
I go to Patrick. Yeah.
And then Samantha, let's talk about Samantha and what she's done for the company.
Listen, I have to give Samantha credit for this.
Mm -hmm. Yeah. We should look into those new t -shirts that are so popular.
So I think a lot of the decision here, whether or whether or not you give credit is a gut feeling.
It's kind of, it's like our conscience, right?
And our conscience always knows.
Usually we have a moral compass that tells us, hmm, something's wrong.
Someone is not getting the credit they deserve for something.
Don't you think, Michelle?
I think so. And if you're not sure, think about if you'd be upset.
Yeah, I mean not that not everybody might have different kind of thresholds for what they're okay with.
So it's you might not be upset about it, but somebody else might.
So again, you have to go with your gut feeling better to be safe than sorry, I think is the is the way to go here.
Yeah, I agree. I love it.
All right, guys. So go back and check out episode 337 of Business English for phrases.
You should be saying to your co -workers.
You can grab those phrases and start using them immediately.
Very intriguing that title.
I wonder what they are.
All right. You'll have to listen.
Lindsay, any any other thoughts for the takeaway before we head off the mic?
Yeah, I think just listening to our gut at work and making sure that people are given the credit that they deserve, you know, there are personalities that tend to be quieter, but they're coming up with fantastic ideas, creating a lot of value and those people deserve to be recognized.
So now our listeners have the way to do it.
Yeah, absolutely. All right.
Well, I think we left you with a lot today to to think about and using your meeting.
So thanks for listening and thanks for talking about this with me, Lindsay.
Yeah, and just the other piece that just came to mind is the U .S.
our work culture is so verbal and we've talked about this in other episodes.
So it becomes even more important in the American workplace to give people credit because what will happen if we don't is the credit will go to those who are talking the most, right?
And that's not always the people that are adding the most value, even though in people's minds, it might be right.
So yeah, yeah, it's yeah, it's tricky.
It's really really tricky.
So yeah, pay attention to your own business culture and what is valued and understand that.
Yeah, maybe we need to compensate in certain ways and help our co -workers out.
Okay, definitely. All right, Lindsay.
Well, this was fun and I'll talk to you next time.
All right. Bye Michelle.
Bye. Thank you for listening to Business English, a podcast just for you, the high -achieving global professional.
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