Leadership Troubles

[runnernado77]

Alright, so maybe I'm being a bit of a baby here, but here we go. A new grad student and I were assigned to lead an undergraduate series of workshops at our new school, which is great because we got to arrive and settle in a few months early. While planning these workshops, we had thrown around some ideas, one of which I'd emailed my advisor about several months before arriving. I wanted to conduct a professional development workshop to prepare these undergraduates for both the working world and/or the graduate school world, because I've experienced both. We were discussing the idea again today, and my colleague, while well meaning likes to hear his own voice. A lot. So we were debating ideas about the most effective way to run the workshop and he just KEPT TALKING. This happens a lot so perhaps it irked me even more than it should in today's situation. At the end of said conversation my advisor turns to him and says, perhaps you should assist Dr. whatever with running the workshop. This made me a little angry since I'd come up with the idea initially and he had just taken off and run with it. I know people steal ideas, which is why I rarely discuss mine with other students. That's crappy, but it's life. Is my anger warranted here and should I confront my advisor? I don't want to anger him since I will be spending the next several years under his direction, but I don't want to live in the shadow of my colleague simply because my colleague is comfortable putting himself in everyone's face and manipulating all conversations.

[fuzzylogician]

Seems to me that the correct response would have been "I'd like to remain involved, if that's ok, since it was my idea, as you recall from our email exchange in April. This is something I have personal experience with and care a lot about" or some such. Don't give up and walk away just because someone else is involved. And you can't expect people not to take your ideas and run with them if you're collaborating with them, that's what collaborations are all about. If you can't stand anyone touching your ideas, don't share them with anyone. But I'd hardly call this a case of someone stealing your idea. (This said, if your colleague is someone who you don't like or enjoying being around, then best you can do is find ways to respectfully back out of being around him, but I wouldn't do it at the expense of my professional life.) 

[runnernado77]

Thanks for the advice. You make a great point. I guess the collaborative atmosphere is a bit new, especially coming from a very competitive undergraduate atmosphere.