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Have you ever failed to share the credit?
We all like to be rewarded. Sometimes we’re in the right place at the right time and we’re the wrong person. What happens when we are being rewarded or praised for something we didn’t do? Do we take the credit and run or correct the person? Why would we choose to take the credit from others? Our egos may be involved. Why do we feel we need the praise? What are we missing that we need to steal the credit? What if the rightful owner of these accolades is someone we don’t like or we feel they don’t deserve the recognition? Does that give us the right to steal it from them? Having that moment in the spotlight may feel too good to pass up.
Sometimes we may not realize we’ve absorbed all the credit for something that was a team effort. How does it affect our relationships with people if we fail to include others in our compliments? Are we stopping to realize how others have contributed to our project? It‘s more fun to share the credit! When we share the praise and celebrate the achievements of all involved we invite others to the party. This makes the celebration bigger and puts everyone in a good mood.
Imagine... sharing the credit and expanding the celebration!
Group Activity:
Try this – “Weave” Accomplished So Much!
- Create a physical representation of your teamwork with others.
- Start with an empty frame and string chords across it like a guitar. Have every member of the team bring in spools of ribbon and place them in a basket. Hang this empty frame in a communal area. Every time a team/family member has a small success – have them select a ribbon from the basket and weave it through the chords. As you put up a ribbon, acknowledge the efforts of all involved.
- Over time your frame will fill up with ribbon and you will have a piece of art that celebrates the efforts of all involved!
Individual Reflection:
- Have you ever had someone else take full credit for a job you did?
- How did it make you feel?
- Have you ever been mistakenly given credit for someone else’s job well done?
- What did you do?
- Has anyone ever surprised you by including your efforts in the accolades they received from a successful project?
- How did that make you feel?
“The more credit you give away, the more will come back to you. The more you help others, the more they will want to help you.”
- Brian Tracy