You put in extra hours on a project while your colleague half-heartedly typed up the reference page—and then your boss gave you both equal credit. Keep your teammate from sticking it to you again with tips from Jennifer L. Fee, PsyD, a psychologist in Placentia, CA.

Check your emotions.
Before you confront your colleague, reset your resentment so you can be calm—and factual—when you have your discussion.

Take it inside.
Speak with your co-worker in private, and let her state her point of view. Maybe she was overwhelmed with her own workload and couldn’t give your shared task as much time as she would have liked. Agree that you’ll both pitch in more equitably next time.

Preset guidelines.
Before you buddy up next time, build a structure you can both follow. Then create written reports that summarize your work on the project, in case you need to document your part. If she slacks off again, talk to your boss and ask for a new partner.

Tip: Take detailed notes during your meeting so there’s no confusion—or hard feelings.