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Grand Theft Idea
With roughly 30 percent of workers claiming that a co-worker has taken credit for one of their ideas -- and half not speaking up about it -- chances are there are some hidden undercurrents that could impact teamwork and innovation in many workplaces. HR needs to ensure that the proper policies are in place to create a culture where stealing ideas is not tolerated.
The word "thief" may conjure up images of bank robbers in black ski masks or purse snatchers stealing from little old ladies, but maybe the image should extend to men and women in business garb working at your companies. And it's not the pens and staplers that are at risk -- it's co-workers' ideas. A new study shows that about three in 10 (29 percent) workers say that a co-worker has taken credit for their idea, at some point in their careers, according to Office Team, a Menlo Park, Calif., staffing-service company. It's "human nature" for people to discuss work, which leads to stolen ideas -- whether the thievery is premeditated or not, says Manny Avramidis, senior vice president of global human resources for the New York-based American Management Association. "Sometimes, by design or intention ... people beg, borrow, use or steal other people's ideas," he says, "and if they think about [those ideas] long enough they become their own." The perception that your idea was taken by a co-worker can cause hurt feelings, and result in someone holding a grudge. For the company that means a negative impact on future teamwork and innovation. "It undermines team spirit and team culture," Avramidis says. "It's pretty much a cancer in the department or the division that eats away at the group." Much of the time, idea stealing is done right out in the open, says Izzy Justice, CEO of EQ Mentor, a Charlotte-based consulting company. "We always think that if someone's going to steal an idea, it's going to happen behind someone's back," he says, but oftentimes, the culprit may be "someone sitting right next to you, [someone] on your team or even your boss." "If it's a one-off kind of thing, people tend to forgive and forget," says Justice, "but more often than not, there's a pattern and this is one of the top five reasons why people leave their organizations -- especially the high potentials." It could also cause workers to become detached from their jobs, just shuffling through the daily grind. "They emotionally resign but physically they are still employed where they are ... they're not innovative, they're not creative, because ... there's nothing in it for them," says Justice. More than half (51 percent) of the respondents to the Office Team study who reported that their ideas had been stolen said they didn't do anything about it. Of the other half (49 percent) who did, one-quarter (26 percent) let other employees know it was their idea, 13 percent told their manager and 13 percent confronted the idea thief. HR executives should strive to create a culture where taking credit for someone's idea is a serious offense, says Avramidis. By doing so, companies can create an environment where people freely share ideas and work collaboratively, rather than fearing someone will take credit for their ideas. And once that type of culture is developed, then a victim will be more likely to speak up if someone steals their idea. "The actions of executives will certainly set the stage for what's expected in the organization," says Avramidis. "If you have a culture where a manager says, 'Hey, too bad, he's the one [who] brought it to my attention,' you're destined to be doomed." And when it is the boss who is taking credit for a subordinate's idea, that makes it even more unlikely the victimized employee will come forward, experts say. Justice says that HR should create a transparent structural design so that ideas are attributable as soon as they are generated. For example, companies can create online forums or wikis that will not only track who created an idea, but allow other employees to chime in and help develop it. "In a month or two," he says, "what started as one sentence can evolve into a fully blown actionable plan." November 2, 2009 Copyright 2009© LRP Publications |
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© Copyright 2010 LRP Publications. All rights reserved.
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