Image: Thief by safe-t
A few weeks ago, a PhD student called to ask for my advice. A work colleague had lifted phrases and quotes from her dissertation, posting them to her website without citing the source. I read through the dissertation as well as the blogger’s website. It was not a few words but whole paragraphs extracted without any reference to the doctoral student. It’s not uncommon for writers to borrow phrases from others, particularly those they admire. There may well be a writer who’s nonplussed when someone else takes their phrases, uses their exact words or renames their product, “stealing” the content from elsewhere. But I doubt it. Such borrowing is not a compliment; it’s infuriating.
However, let’s look at the positive side. Seth Godin believes ideas can’t be stolen. When shared, the idea only gets bigger. Similarly, the non-profit Creative Commons organisation is dedicated to enlarging the scope of creative ideas for others to share. Some writers liberally mix content to create new stories. Which makes sense. Re-using knowledge, re-hashing creative ideas, and cross-pollinating ideas is what drives innovation.
Now let’s change the picture slightly. Last week, in a coaching session with a smart, savvy, product manager, he shared a similar story. Months earlier, he worked on a product, researched consumer insights and created the perfect pitch. While away on a business trip, his boss presented the idea and didn’t mention the creative brain trust. His boss had recently been promoted to Chief Marketing Officer, and the promotion was apparently given in part on the success of many products my coachee had designed.
What do you do when your boss takes credit for something you created? It happens. Sometimes people take credit without realizing it (and others realize it all too well). Ideas always float around an organisation, and quite often people can’t remember who said what. When someone “borrows” your idea, take a long view and see it as beneficial for the organisation.
When the borrowing becomes habitual, however, a different approach is needed. Both Creative Commons and Godin have a perspective on habitual borrowing: If you’re not the originator, you need to ask or give full credit for borrowing someone else’s IP. But who suffers more, the borrower or the originator? In the case of my coachee, he took the full hit emotionally and career-wise. But his boss did well.
The next time someone uses your words, ideas or product, have a conversation and find out why your name was left off.
Moving forward, be open and share your ideas widely. Use any platform to share, even if in the planning stages. Use every conversation as a press release. Include potential consumers in the discussion, find the “connectors” within your organisation and ask for their insights. Keep a running list of comments and collaborators. Compare notes; send an update or thank you to everyone involved. Not only will you be viewed as the owner of the idea, but it will have taken on a new life.
Sometimes plagarism has benefits. Think about it. If your boss repeats your exact words, you’re influencing. Now, share that with your community.
