How unfair credit taking affects trust

The ONE Office Behaviour That Drives Everyone Crazy – But No One Wants to Name It (Let Alone Tame It!) Mondays can be a bit ‘meh’. So, I started thinking about what really gets under my skin-those little office irritations that buzz around like a persistent mosquito: tiny, but impossible to ignore. We all have our pet peeves: the serial WhatsApp/Slack spammer, the insincere ‘happy-go-lucky’ colleague, and of course, the meeting monopoliser. But there’s one sneaky behaviour that’s more infuriating than all the rest-yet it rarely gets called out! 😵💫 It’s the silent saboteur of team spirit, the culprit behind disengagement and frustration. So, what is the ONE behaviour at work that drives people absolutely bonkers? 💥 If you’ve ever had your “Eureka!” moment hijacked in a meeting, you’re not alone. The “Credit Stealer” takes the top spot-nothing zaps morale and trust quite like seeing your hard work paraded as someone else’s win. 😡 Why does this drive us mad? Because it’s personal. When someone claims your idea, it’s not just about ego-it’s about fairness, trust, and the basic human need to be seen and valued. 😵 In fact, 85% of employees say they’ve encountered at least one annoying colleague, and 58% admit it seriously dents their productivity. BUT, Here’s the kicker! 👿 Most people don’t confront the credit stealer directly. 41% wish they could say what they really think, but don’t. Instead, we vent to colleagues, stew in silence, or-gulp-become passive-aggressive. Why? Because many workplaces still lack the psychological safety and communication skills to handle these awkward moments head-on. ⚽ BOUNCE FORWARD™ … and communicate differently to build psychological safety in your team: 1. Spotlight a person: In meetings, make a habit of acknowledging who contributed what. “I love what Sipho suggested earlier about…” 2. Keep track of brilliance: If you’re the team leader, keep a log of people’s ideas and contributions. 3. Practice “kind candour”: Next time someone nabs your idea, try: “I’m glad you liked my suggestion! Maybe we can build on it together?” 4. As a Leader -model the way: Celebrate collaboration, not just individual wins. Make it safe (and cool) to give credit where it’s due. 🎉 If you want a team that’s energised, creative, and resilient, you need a culture where people feel seen and safe. ⏰ That means tackling credit stealing head-on-with humour, humility, and a dash of neuroscience-backed empathy. Make the time - and do it! Next time you spot a “credit stealer” in the wild, don’t just fume-use it as a chance to build a better, braver workplace. BOUNCE FORWARD™-together. Bouncing back is not an option in these turbulent times! #BounceForward #WorkplaceCulture

After decades in leadership, I’ve witnessed the fragility of trust firsthand. Team trust is the invisible thread holding everything together, and it isn’t built in grand gestures. It’s earned - or lost - in those small moments when we think no one’s watching. What really stands out to me as trust-breakers are seemingly small events - things like forgetting to acknowledge contributions or showing favoritism in meetings. But it’s these issues that can have seismic impacts on team dynamics. People notice when leaders don’t give credit where it’s due, and they feel unappreciated as a result - creating a domino effect of lower morale and productivity. Here’s a hard truth I’ve learned in my time leading teams: While trust takes years to build, it can evaporate in seconds. The most damaging part? It’s not always about major ethical breaches. Sometimes it’s those subtle, throwaway moments - forgetting to acknowledge contributions, showing favoritism in meetings - that create hairline fractures in the foundation of your leadership. The trickiest part is that once trust is broken, there’s often no way back. I’ve seen talented leaders forced to leave roles not because of dramatic failures, but because they couldn’t rebuild trust after seemingly minor missteps. Ultimately, what I’ve come to realize is that trustworthiness isn’t just a leadership principle. It’s your most valuable currency. Guard it zealously in every interaction, no matter how small, because once you’ve created that bond of trust, your team can do incredible things. #ethics #organizationalculture #businessintegrity

Stealing credit makes you look good today. Sharing credit makes you a leader for years. It’s not uncommon in workplaces to see managers present their team’s ideas or work in a way that makes it seem like it was all theirs. Often this comes from fear. Fear that if a teammate gets too much recognition, the boss might start to see them as a replacement. Or fear that giving away credit means losing the leader's own visibility. But taking the spotlight for yourself comes at a real cost. It demotivates the very people who make the work possible, it weakens trust inside the team, and it trades short-term praise for long-term damage. The truth is, every time you highlight your teammates, you rise with them. Recognition doesn’t subtract from you - it multiplies for everyone. In fact, I’ve seen in Bangladesh workplaces how powerful it is when a leader simply says in a review, “This idea came from X on my team, and here’s why it worked.” That one line can do more for your own reputation than quietly taking the credit ever could. I believe strong leaders don’t just deliver results. They build people who can deliver results again and again. Would love to hear experiences of the leaders you've worked for - what stood out for you about them? #Leadership #CareerGrowth #WorkplaceCulture #Bangladesh #Teamwork