You might remember the FedEx commercial “Stolen Idea”. A boss asks his team for cost-cutting ideas and a young staffer suggests opening a FedEx.com account. Everyone is silent. The boss then repeats the suggestion, without crediting the staffer, and the rest of the team congratulates him on his brilliance. The commercial is funny because it reveals an all-too-common dynamic in team meetings: misallocation of credit (or blame). What’s not funny is the result: stifled collaboration, reduced innovation and limited growth.
Give Credit Where It’s Due
You might remember the FedEx commercial “Stolen Idea”. A boss asks his team for cost-cutting ideas and a young staffer suggests opening a FedEx.com account. Everyone is silent. The boss then repeats the suggestion, without crediting the staffer, and the rest of the team congratulates him on his brilliance. The commercial is funny because it […]
March 27, 2012
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New!
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Accelerate your career with Harvard ManageMentor®. HBR Learning’s online leadership training helps you hone your skills with courses like Leading People. Earn badges to share on LinkedIn and your resume. Access more than 40 courses trusted by Fortune 500 companies.
What you need to know about being in charge.