Taking Credit

A blog with hidden messages about Systems Integration

Have you ever been in the situation that someone said something in a meeting which was exactly what you were about to say? Were you annoyed that you couldn’t score brownie points for sharing something insightful?

What if I told you it doesn’t matter who says what in a meeting, the point is that it is being said by someone, as ‘the voice of the system’ i.e. someone representing what is thoughts or felt by the attendees at the meeting, and in fact, anyone linked to the group or meeting, even when they are not physically there.

But what if you work in a cutthroat environment, where people try to outdo each other and get ahead by undermining others? If the idea sharing has become more idea stealing. Well, first ask yourself if you want to work in an environment like that. If you do, or have no choice, then have a separate conversation with that person. Let them know the impact it has on you. Ask them to image they were in your shoes; how would they feel?

But back to the ‘voice of the system’, if you are a manager leading a team meeting, and you ask everyone how they feel, do you get heartfelt answers, or simply what they think they should say? “I am fine”, “Can’t complain” or similar responses. Have you yourself shared openly how you feel, be it happy, sad or indifferent? Would you be comfortable to point out the elephant in the room: “I sense there is something in the room that isn’t being said”? By pointing it out, you are showing your EQ awareness, and even if there is complete silence and discomfort in the room, let that feeling sit there for a little while. Eventually the ‘System’ will speak up. If they don’t, then contact me and we’ll work on improving the trust in the team and I am more than happy for you take credit for the results.