You did the work - now get the credit

Q: I work in a small department. Our manager is not usually in the office. We sometimes have to work together on a project, for which we receive extra compensation that varies depending on our individual contributions. For the project, I have found a role conducting review, feedback and brainstorming sessions. The problem is that one of my colleagues goes out of his way to pose as the "head of project" when our manager is present, and my contributions generally happen when the manager is not present. How do I work around this co-worker, and how do I let my manager know I am contributing when he's not there to witness it?

A: My prescription: Inject a few cc's of self-promotion. After you lead a meeting, provide feedback or otherwise make a significant contribution, write a tight, well-organized email summarizing what you discussed, any findings or solutions and any actions assigned. Send the email to whoever attended the meeting and - here's the key - copy your manager.

Creating this record may feel like bureaucratic busywork, but even the hardest-working cogs will go unnoticed unless they make a squeak every now and again. Incidentally, if your manager happens to notice that your purported project lead seems to be uninvolved in most of these productive sessions, consider that a bonus.

An update on "Lydia," the tattooed worker:

Q: Today Lydia's program manager asked me if I could cover for her in an important upcoming client meeting. I asked him why and he only said, "You know why."

Should I refer the PM to Lydia's manager, or cover for her? I have put long hours into this project and do not want to see it fail, but I see this as not my problem.

A: You see correctly. Lydia's tattoos aren't going away until she does, so management needs to tackle this issue head-on, not draft her colleagues as blocking dummies.

Tell the PM you don't feel right taking the spot Lydia has earned on the client team. Point out that Lydia will notice she's been blacklisted, and if no one tells her why, she may infer a worse reason.

The PM needs to grow a pair of you-know-whats* and ask HR to help him and Lydia's manager find the proper way to say: "Our clients tend to be conservative, and they expect our professionals to project a conservative image. As a result, we ask that you conceal your tattoos for the meeting."

Companies are generally allowed to impose consistent, nondiscriminatory standards for attire, and management owes employees the respect of a straightforward request and opportunity to meet those standards.

* - By "what's," I mean vocal cords. (See what happens when you let people draw their own inferences?)