I need some advice. At my former job, I came up with an idea for simplifying the process for placing internal orders. My manager loved it, but, since implementing it involved technical abilities outside the scope of my expertise, he suggested that I explain my idea to one of my co-worker's who was a technical wiz and see if he could help me put it together. The co-worker was able to help and together we got the new system up and running. The project was 100% a collaborative effort between him and myself, and the original concept, as well as the content of the new order forms were entirely my idea, completely unlike the system that was in place prior to that. Basically, I came up with the concept and he made it work. Imagine my surprise when later that month during a meeting, my manager congratulated him with "conceiving the idea for this enormous improvement and putting the whole thing together". My co-worker told the manager that it wasn't entirely his accomplishment because the project was my idea and we worked on it together. The manager responded along the lines of "Well, we're all part of the same team here, and it doesn't really matter who did what". Next month, the manager nominated my co-worker employee of the month for conceiving of and implementing the new system. I am not saying I should have received sole credit, but given how I came up with all the details, I think I am fully justified in believing that my role in the project deserved to at least be acknowledged.

I know my co-worker did not mislead the manager as to his role in the project, since he corrected the manager (publicly) every time the subject of this being HIS idea came up. I am not going to waste my energy trying to understand why my imbesile of a former manager had such selective memory. Maybe he had something against me personally, or maybe he had a memory lapse and really believed that his version of the events was correct (the man wasn't exactly a picture of mental stability). Whatever it was, it's over and done with and I do not want to waste my time trying to apply logic to the actions of an irrational person.

However, I am left with a dillemma. Since he is listed as my manager on every job application I fill out, potential employers are free to contact him and ask him whatever they want, and he is free to provide them with any information he believes to be correct. I have my part in this project listed as one of the accomplishments on my resume, and I am worried that when/if the subject of my accomplishments comes up when a potential employer contacts my former manager, he may undermine my part in the project as he had done while I was still with the company, or claim I played no part in it at all. How do you think I should handle this? Using the co-worker who worked on the project with me as a reference is not an option because he is no longer with the company, along with most of the other people I knew there (the turn over in that place is crazy), and I do not know how to get in touch with him. Do you think I am better off leaving this accomplishment off my resume? I would rather not do that because it was a significant accomplishment that raised overall efficiency, but I don't want the potential employer to think I am lying either, so if that's my only option, I will drop this accomplishment from my resume. Any suggestions on how I should handle this?