THIS IS A SHOUTING THREAD!! →[More:]
ABOUT 18 MONTHS AGO I APPLIED FOR A PROMOTION. AS PART OF THE INTERVIEW PROCESS I HAD TO PREPARE A PRESENTATION WITH MY IDEAS TO IMPROVE A SPECIFIC ASPECT OF OUR WORK. I WORKED REALLY HARD ON MY PRESENTATION AND I KNOW IT WAS GOOD. I DIDN'T GET THE JOB BUT I WAS TOLD THAT MY PRESENTATION WAS THE BEST, WELL PUT TOGETHER AND WITH EXCELLENT IDEAS.

SO, TODAY AT A MEETING WE WERE GIVEN A PRESENTATION OF A NEW INITIATIVE THAT'S BEING ROLLED OUT ACROSS OUR ORGANISATION. WE WERE TOLD IT'S BEEN IN THE PIPELINE "FOR JUST OVER A YEAR". IT IS MY EXACT IDEA - THEY'VE EVEN COPIED THE (UNIQUE) NAME I USED, AND THE PRESENTER USED THE SAME EXAMPLES I'D PRODUCED AT MY INTERVIEW. THE (VERY SENIOR) PERSON LEADING THE PROJECT - NOT THE GUY AT THE MEETING TODAY - IS ONE OF THE PEOPLE WHO INTERVIEWED ME AND WHO PRAISED MY PRESENTATION.

I SAT, OPEN-MOUTHED, AS THE GUY WENT THROUGH ALL THE SAME INFO I'D PRODUCED A YEAR AND A HALF AGO. AFTER THE MEETING, SOMEONE WHO'D ALSO GONE THROUGH THE SAME INTERVIEW PROCESS WITH ME (AND ALSO DIDN'T GET PROMOTED) SAID "THAT WAS YOUR PRESENTATION, WASN'T IT". THERE'S NOTHING I CAN DO ABOUT IT, I KNOW FROM EXPERIENCE THAT ALL I'D DO IF I COMPLAINED WOULD BE TO DRAW NEGATIVE ATTENTION. BUT IT TOTALLY SUCKS THAT I WON'T GET ANY CREDIT FOR IT.