When Credit Becomes Currency: Navigating Collaboration in a Climate of Scarcity

I don’t know if it’s just the times we’re living in — the uncertainty in our industry, the hiring freezes, the constant anxiety about layoffs — but something has shifted in how people show up to work.

The climate we’re in has created a subtle (and sometimes not-so-subtle) desperation. Work is scarce. Projects are fewer. And in a world where visibility feels like job security, people are clinging tightly to anything that might signal “I’m adding value.” Unfortunately, sometimes that includes taking ownership of things that don’t really belong to them.

I’ve seen situations where ideas generated by one team are suddenly claimed by another. I’ve heard people argue that a project shouldn’t be owned by the team that created the strategy or put in the foundational work — but rather by their own team, simply because the initiative now falls within their job description.

That alone might be a frustrating but manageable conflict. But here’s the kicker: the very teams pushing for ownership are often the same ones saying they don’t have the headcount to actually do the work.

So instead of collaboration, we get territorialism. Instead of supporting one another, we end up in silent turf wars over who should be seen leading an effort — regardless of who actually started it or who’s best positioned to finish it.

I understand the fear. I really do. Everyone wants to feel like they’re making an impact. But when credit becomes currency, we start to lose sight of the bigger goal — making good work happen.

If we could just let go of the ego, share the credit, and collaborate more openly, we’d not only be more efficient — we’d also be a lot less burned out.

We need more generosity, not more posturing. Especially now.