People in the workplace steal ideas daily. In fact, Steve Jobs proudly stated “we’ve always been shameless about stealing great ideas”. Join me on CBC radio’s Ontario Today call-in show this Thursday at noon (EST) as I respond to callers who experienced or witnessed this phenomenon.
Until then, if you feel that someone stole your idea and you carried resentment, ask yourself:
- Was my ideas really mine and original, or was it created in synergy with others (and therefore I should not claim it as mine)?
- How important is the issues to me? And how important is the relationship with this person? Is it really worth me getting all upset about?
- What are the pros and cons of discussing my feelings with the ‘thief’? is it worth approaching him or her?
- If I decide to indeed raise the matter with the person, what language do I use to prevent him/her from getting defensive (which will lead to a shut-down)?
- What win-win suggestions will it make for resolving the issue?
Added Later:
- You can listen to the program in its entirety here — there were great calls, worth listening to!
- You can also launch dialogue about how to prevent or manage idea-stealing in your own team by visiting this Thought Booster.
