Designers should not cast their pearls before swine.

Bosses, you see, no longer think like designers (if they ever did). Instead, as a part of the power structure, they see things from a bureaucratic perspective where their own success depends entirely upon the talents of others. They need lots of work from the people under them, yet they cannot afford to let any of "their people" take personal credit -- since group or collective success is the only way a boss can prove to the owners that he or she is doing anything right.

A great designer in the group creates confusion in the mind of the boss because the boss does not understand why anyone would want to work so hard and so passionately at anything. All he knows is how you are out-classing his own reputation and image, and as he fights to get the attention he needs to keep his own job, he is sorely tempted to replay the time-honored solution of tearing down your work to make himself look better by comparison.

Yet, as designers, we do not understand our bosses either. Why do they not appreciate our efforts to transcend the ordinary? Why do they not see the value in producing something wonderful and lasting? How can it be that we make such a positive difference only to draw resentment from the very people who said in our last review that we should do our best?

As much as we would like to believe otherwise, the lesson here is simple: Unless we own the business, we will never receive official credit for anything we design. Just like unnamed ghost-writers for the rich and famous, we must likewise remain anonymous if we wish to keep our jobs.

But there is a partial solution to those designers who might resent this situation (and cannot afford their own companies). Rather than fighting out in the open for our ideas, where we risk outshining our bosses, it is much better to let those above us believe that our ideas came from them. It may seem hard at first and it might feel like you are selling out. But give a try and you will be amazed -- Let the boss take the credit and then he or she will be compelled to keep sending interesting work your way just to maintain his or her own growing reputation.