A Colleague Stole My Idea

This is difficult to answer.

If this is a work situation, there are so many layers to sift through to understand what you may be dealing with and how you ought to respond.

You Think Your Boss Stole Your Idea(s)?

Idea is purposely plural (s) since I would hope that this has been a habitual exercise of someone stealing your ideas, and you can prove they actually did steal your idea(s). If your boss has assigned you certain task(s) or project(s), and it is clear that you are a worker bee and responsible to produce results/reports/analysis/concepts/ideas and deliver them to your boss for approval/authorization, then you may have a difficult time addressing how you can take steps to avoid your boss stealing your ideas.

You Think Your Colleagues Stole Your Idea(s)?

Well if you are working in a team structure, it may be difficult to say who conceived what — therefore, hard to say who should take ownership for the ideas. Also, who should take ownership for the success and/or failures of the execution and implementation of the ideas.

You are working solo, and someone (not your boss) is actually stealing your ideas?

Then you might want to be more careful and close hold about how you handle the conception and storage of your ideas. Try to keep your plans to yourself, and not share what you are thinking about a specific project or program. You might inadvertently divulge too much information or even your creative process, and leave a foundation for others to pursue the ideas and concepts your expressed over coffee, lunch or other communal periods.

Your boss is stealing your ideas, you are sure, and you want to take action?

Strategies to cope:

Try to develop a relationship with your boss. It might be beneficial to turn it around, and formally ask them what they think about the ideas that you have put on paper (meaning it’s documented it originated with you).
Try to use technology to track ownership. If you can express and formulate your ideas by email with others in copy, especially if you work in a team environment, it might help with identification of the source of the idea(s). In example one and two, you are looking for formal and documented feedback on the brilliance of your idea. You get other colleagues and your boss to openly discuss your creativity and idea.
Try to figure out if you are being overly possessive. Does the ownership for successful and proven ideas have special recognition in your workplace, or is it a matter of ego? Are you looking for praise, financial recognition, and is it a competition? Do you want to achieve a promotion? There are some details you might need to sort through to understand what is ultimately the goal of avoiding others from stealing your ideas.
Don’t worry about it. If you are a badass, then you will keep coming up with great ideas and the recognition will eventually flow your way. Don’t forget, it’s not just about an idea, but a proven track record of having ideas that bring results.
You could try to confront the person(s) who are stealing your ideas. You could be more aggressive in expressing, “Hey, you stole my idea!” But in a nice diplomatic way. If a colleague during a meeting states an idea they know is yours, and tries to take credit for it during the meeting (meaning you actively catch them in the process of stealing your idea), then you can correct the situation by letting everyone know, it was in fact your innovation —

“This is exactly what I expressed to Fred/Fredricka yesterday, week, year…” But you have to be able to further expound and expand in a brilliant way on whatever was under discussion. You have to be able to take it one step further in expressing ownership over the concept/idea to prove credibility. However, you may run the risk of looking petty. If you run this scenario for your boss, good luck because you just declared war, they are in the power position, you will lose.

There is an assumption this is in the workplace. If it is, and this bothers you so much, and if this is destroying your ability to concentrate, perform, excel or negatively altering your career path, you may need to think about looking for another job. But, you might have the same issue in your next workplace.

You can catch me throwing cards at Rising Vibrations

Author - A Fierce Bitch's Guide

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