About 20 years ago I worked in IT for HSBC. At that time the bank ran an award scheme to encourage innovative ideas (I believe they scrapped it since, the scheme was a hold-over from the days of Midland Bank, HSBC workers aren't supposed to think). Ideas were submitted via line management and reviewed independently. I was sometimes the reviewer of IT related ideas (usually from non-IT areas). Some were just silly and would be rejected, some were better but not worth putting into action and would get a £50 award for showing initiative. I decided to give it a try myself. My first suggestion was implemented. I earned a £100 award and a big engraved glass "best idea of the month" trophy.
That was easy I thought, let's have another go. My problem was that I was the diametric opposite of a brown-noser, my line manager knew that I knew she was thick. The reason she got her job was for talents unrelated to any management competence or understanding of technology. She liked nothing more than being told otherwise to the extent of cheating or letting brown-nosed acolytes fudge the scores to ensure she won the general knowledge quiz at team events.
My trophy, prominent on my desk, irked her. When I came up with another suggestion she refused to pass it to the assessment process. Instead I gave it to a friend in another department, he submitted it, it was implemented and he shared the £100 and kept the trophy.
I got out with a big redundancy deal and immediate pension 18 months later.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
