The credit roll revolution: Why organisations need to start naming names

C – Capture the full contributor ecosystem (beyond job titles).
Look beyond org charts and formal roles. Who really influenced this project? Include the cultural translators, the question-askers, the behind-the-scenes enablers who made success possible.

Example: During a product launch, don’t just credit the marketing team. Recognize the receptionist who provided customer insights from daily interactions, the intern who spotted the cultural misstep in your campaign, and the facilities manager who created the brainstorming environment.

R – Recognize diverse communication and contribution styles.
Some voices express brilliance through questions, others through stories. Learn to identify value across different communication patterns and cultural approaches. The quiet analyst who asks game-changing questions deserves the same recognition as the vocal presenter.

Example: In your quarterly review, credit both the executive who delivered the compelling presentation AND the team member who asked, “What if our customers don’t actually want this?” – the question that led to the pivot that saved the project.

E – Expand traditional recognition categories.
Create new ways to acknowledge contribution. Move beyond “performer of the month” to recognize cultural bridges, psychological safety creators, pattern spotters. Think: Cultural Bridge Builder, Question Catalyst, Behind-the-Scenes Enabler.

Example: Instead of only recognizing sales numbers, create awards like “Cultural Bridge Builder” for the team member who helped international clients feel understood, or “Psychological Safety Creator” for the manager who made it safe for others to share risky ideas.

D – Document real influence networks and cultural bridges.
Map who actually shapes decisions versus who gets credited. Track the informal networks that make things happen across cultural and hierarchical boundaries. The multilingual team member bridging international partnerships often goes unrecognised.

Example: When announcing a successful client acquisition, document not just the account manager who closed the deal, but also the bilingual colleague who provided cultural context in informal conversations, and the analyst whose pattern recognition identified the opportunity.

I – Include marginalised voices in decision processes.
Don’t just consult marginalised voices. Give them genuine influence over outcomes. Build inclusion into the decision-making structure, not just the feedback process. Reserve decision-making seats for underrepresented perspectives, not just advisory roles.

Example: When forming your strategic planning committee, don’t just invite diverse voices to “provide input.” Give them voting rights on key decisions and budget allocation authority, ensuring their perspectives shape outcomes, not just discussions.

T – Transform attribution from hierarchy to contribution.
Shift from position-based recognition to impact-based recognition. Let contribution patterns, not org charts, determine who gets credited for success. Credit the customer service rep whose insight drove the product pivot, regardless of their level.

Example: When the CEO presents the new customer retention strategy, begin by crediting the customer service representative whose observation about complaint patterns sparked the insight, even though they’re several levels below the C-suite.

S – Systematize ongoing recognition and amplification.
Build these practices into regular processes. Make amplifying marginalized voices a systematic part of how work gets done, not a special initiative. End every project with a full “credit roll” that names all contributors.

Example: Make it standard practice to end every project retrospective, board presentation, and success announcement with a complete “credit roll” that names all contributors – from the C-suite sponsor to the part-time coordinator who spotted the critical error.