“Behind every successful woman is herself”

Being able to work efficiently and collaborate with others is a requirement for most jobs today. However, many studies prove women do not get a fair share of credit for the work they put in, especially when they work with men.

Let me share a story:
John and I were assigned a new task for the week: we already had completed a majority of the work. Collaborated, chalked out the best marketing strategy for the company, scheduled the date for rolling out new products and took care of all the responsibilities given to us. But when the company’s executive committee referred to it as “John’s Plan”, it hit me hard.

Women are always looked down on as less influential as compared to men. While it seems the men have an upper hand in the decisions being made. And do you know what happens when a woman isn’t given due credit for her work? Her career prospects suffer and she feels unworthy of her presence.

This is bad news for women as most jobs today involve collaboration. However, a powerful solution to this depends on cultural and systematic change. So what can we do to get the world to give us the credit we desire?
After all, who doesn’t like to be appreciated for their ideas and inputs?

Strategies to Get Credit

1. Make your contributions clear to your male colleagues

Your colleagues are the first people who will have the right knowledge about your input and responsibilities in a project. So, make sure to get them on board. Decide tasks for each group member and make your contributions clear before you proceed with the task. This will reduce the interference towards the end.

2. Don’t hesitate to promote yourself

Women always give their male peers more credit during collaborative projects. They tend to undermine themselves and hesitate to speak out about their inputs. Hence, don’t stop yourself to talk about your ideas, inputs and suggestions. If you don’t voice out, your efforts will be overlooked. On the other hand, if you speak, you will start getting attention for your work.

3. Grab opportunities to clarify your role (in private if required)

Women’s contributions are often undervalued. While some may be intentional, but others may not. However, cut that doubt aside and take opportunities to give more information about your work. Things don’t work out for the best if the wrong person gets the credit. It leads to trouble in the team and also creates future hassles. Don’t be afraid to speak out because your hard work needs recognition.

4. Volunteer to present

Magically, it seems that the individual who presents the project tends to get huge credit for themselves. So, ladies, be ready to be a spokesperson. This will allow you to talk about your inputs for the projects without others undermining your efforts. Besides, the opportunity will help get you the deserved credit.

5. Project yourself as an authority

Trust in your knowledge and be aware of your capabilities and talents. Share what you know openly with others so that they will respect your inputs. It does not imply you to be rude or overconfident but only project what you are capable of. Slowly, you will start noticing others look at you as a valuable asset. Once they are aware of credibility, appreciation and recognition will follow.

These steps will effectively help you break the discrimination that exists in the workplace. We all want a world where hard work is valued and respected. Let’s create a work environment when women aren’t sidelined and gain credit for their efforts!