Harley-Davidson, Mt. Everest and Credit Where Credit is Due in the Workplace
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Harley-Davidson: the American Icon. A motorcycle whose name is known the world over; a name which stands for legendary, uncompromising two-wheeled quality. Perhaps in the history of this motorcycle, only one person has come out on the short end. It seems at a certain point, the name "Harley-Davidson" became too much of a mouthful to get out, and since that time, the brand, and bike itself, have simply become known as "Harley." Whereas William S. Harley and his descendants might be eternally pleased, a certain Arthur Davidson, his brothers and his descendants might just feel a bit short-changed. Perhaps if "good-old-second-fiddle" could turn the clock back and again decide whose name would go first, he might put a little more effort into the debate; then, instead, bikers the world over would be talking about their "Davidsons" and he might feel, at least from beyond the grave, that he had received due credit.
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At 11:30 A.M on May 29th 1953, Sir Edmund Hillary became the first human to reach the summit of
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So this business article has to do with motorcycles and climbing
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But in the grander picture it has to do with the idea of "credit where credit is due" specifically as it pertains to the workplace.
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If you are a business-person, you might have personally experienced some rather unpleasant experiences in which the credit you felt was due to you suddenly evaporated into a puff of smoke. I myself at a prior workplace, very proudly in fact, submitted a proposal for streamlining a certain procedure. My only mistake, in retrospect, was that rather than submitting it to the company director, I submitted it to my supervisor. Several days later in a team-conference, the director gave all of the credit and praise for the "great" new idea to my supervisor. The very same supervisor who never made a single mention that the idea had originated with me and took credit as if it were his own. When I attempted to bring the situation "to light," it was I who was accused of not being a team-player. The end result of this ordeal was an employee who was resentful, livid, loathed the system in which he was just a lowly "cog," and ceased completely to explore new ways in which the department might function more effectively and efficiently.
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The internet is also rife with personal stories of written work which has been submitted and, somehow, on its journey through cyber-space gets hijacked. I myself have seen several of my online articles, weeks or months later, cut-and-pasted into someone else’s blog. If someone likes the work that I have produced that much, believe me, I take it as a compliment, but give credit where credit is due instead of trying to pass the work off as your own. This keep in mind, was just a simple article; Imagine when the "hijacked" material is a book, full-length manuscript, song or invention which can net the rightful owner millions.
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Failure to give and receive credit, as we have seen, can be circumstantial (as in the case of Davidson who had his name listed second) and intentional as in the case of someone who willfully and willingly uses the ideas of others to further his or her own aims and ambitions.
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It is human-nature when a worker has accomplished something special that he or she craves, yearns for and expects the credit which was born of their blood, sweat, tears, effort, over-time hours, vision and insight. I don’t look at this in terms of boastful pride, egotistical behavior, crying "sour grapes" or "not being a team-player." Rather, I see it as the desire to receive a healthy dose of deserved recognition. Perhaps with many others, failure to receive the credit due is a catalyst to, like me, divorce from "the system" and go the route of independent or freelancer. In my case, the pain which I felt at being so unjustly "jilted" was the direct catalyst for doing so.
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Without this recognition and the occasional pat-on-the-back, employers, whether CEOs, bosses or supervisors, risk alienating their employees and discouraging, rather than encouraging, the well-spring of new ideas. It’s something for those in charge to bear in mind: a satisfied employee who feels recognized will think of ways to contribute to the betterment, success and advancement of his or her company or organization whereas one who feels as though his or her efforts and hard work are going unnoticed will not.
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I myself will continue to work independently as a freelancer and not have to submit my ideas to a boss or supervisor. That way along with taking personal blame for any mistakes, I can take personal credit for success. And I have decided that from now on each "Harley" I see will be called a "Davidson," and if ever asked "Who was the first to summit Everest?" I will reply, "The Sherpa, Tenzing Norgay."
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My name is Yonatan Maisel. I am a professional writer, business-blogger and published author. Whatever your writing needs may be, I specialize in meeting your unique goals and aspirations. From marketing and advertising content to corporate bios and resumes, from speeches to research…and much more, I will provide you with expert service at a reasonable price! By clicking the following link: http://jobshuk.com/yoni67, you will be transported to my profile where you will find information on the services which I provide. You will also find a link to my website where you will find my portfolio, testimonials and contact information. After finishing up with some personal challenges, I will officially be back at work on January 1st.
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If you have enjoyed this article, you are cordially invited to peruse my prior posting where you will learn, thanks to one of the biggest blunders in business history, why sometimes it pays to think "inside the box." The article:
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*** As always, the photos used in this blog are selected from stock-photo sites where no rights to the picture are held, or permission is obtained from the rightful owner.