Stop saying "That's my idea!" and learn the best English phrases to use instead.
A Colleague Takes Credit for Your Work. What do you say?
Welcome to the Friday Fix!
👉 Each Friday, we break down a real-world professional problem and replace “textbook” phrases with the authentic, native-level language that actually gets results.
The Situation
You’re in a cross-functional meeting. Your colleague, Mark, just presented the data analysis strategy you spent three weeks developing. The problem? He just framed it entirely as his own idea (”I put together this new strategy...”). You need to politely but firmly reclaim your work without looking petty or starting an argument in front of leadership.
The Challenge
Write exactly what you would say in the meeting (3–4 sentences) to assert your ownership of the work while keeping the tone professional and collaborative.
Try it yourself before scrolling down!
Here are a few sentence starters to help you frame your response:
• “Thanks for sharing that! I’m so glad the work I...”
• “To expand on the strategy I shared with...”
• “Building on the data I pulled for this...”
• “I appreciate you walking them through the analysis I...”
👇 Ready to see how a professional would handle this? The model answer, a breakdown of why these specific phrases work, and the common trap most professionals fall into are below.
