For weeks now, I’ve been wrestling with a pattern of workplace situations that left me feeling frustrated and, frankly, undervalued. You’ve probably been there too—a moment where you do the right thing, solve a problem, or step up to make things right, only to watch someone else take credit or face criticism for your efforts. It’s like a bad déjà vu on repeat.
One recent example? I finally convinced someone that an ongoing issue at work needed to be addressed. The problem got resolved, sure, but the credit for identifying and fixing it? It went to someone else. Another instance? Correcting an error made by a colleague, only to be criticized for not fixing it the “right” way. These aren’t isolated incidents. In just the past two weeks, it feels like these kinds of situations have popped up more than usual.
After some reflection, I finally figured out what’s been bothering me so much: it’s not just the credit-stealing or criticism. It’s the double standard.
I’ve noticed certain colleagues are quick to jump on others’ mistakes, gossip about them, or even blow them out of proportion, yet they don’t seem to hold themselves to the same standard. When someone on my team makes a mistake, I’ve been told we need to overhaul entire processes to avoid it happening again. But when their department messes up? There’s no such urgency. No one’s suggesting sweeping changes or analyzing their systems under a microscope.
Why the inconsistency? Shouldn’t we all be treated the same way, held to the same standard of accountability? I’m not saying mistakes don’t matter—of course they do. But the way we address them says a lot about the kind of workplace we’re building. If we only highlight errors to assign blame or gossip, we’re not creating a culture of improvement; we’re creating one of fear and resentment.
Fairness and mutual respect shouldn’t be negotiable. So, here’s my challenge to myself—and maybe to you, too: let’s commit to calling out this behavior (constructively) and modeling what fairness looks like. If we wouldn’t want to be treated a certain way, let’s not perpetuate that treatment toward others. It’s not about being perfect; it’s about being consistent.
How do you address these challenges in your workplace? Let’s start a conversation.