Speak up! Lead the team! Collaborate! Promote! Network!
These are the most common advice that you get from veterans when you ask them growth tips at work. Although they are really great and meaningful, it can put an introvert into a deep pit of frustration and fear for they cannot do any of the above. Most of the modern workplaces are setups for extroverts – open space, gymnasium, great cafeteria, brainstorming sessions, group activity, and the like.
Creative careers for Introverts are people who recharge their mind and revitalize their energy by being alone. Frequent public speaking, meeting with new people, marketing, and exclusive social marketing can drain an introvert’s energy and make them feel inadequate and under-performing.
Introverts are most often misunderstood at their workplaces among many other settings because nowadays most workplaces tend to encourage outspokenness and dynamic interpersonal skills. Because extroversion pattern in the workplace, introverts are overlooked, not only as human beings but also as skilled professionals.
Introverts are generally social people, and quite open-minded. Just that they start feeling claustrophobic around too many people. They generally need time to open up and mingle. Introverts can make great leaders and they are extremely productive at work because they have good problem solving and analytical skills. They are also quite focused on their work and abide by work ethics. Because of their shy nature and powerful observation skills, introverts tend to be more creative and think out of the box.
However, it takes different personalities to make a company successful. Therefore, we have tried to share several tips or strategies for introverts to excel at their work.
Introverts are extremely shy people – it is one of their major issues. They don’t like the limelight. Often times they do their work quietly using their depth of knowledge, which eventually leads to growth and success of the company. But they often don’t let others know that it was them behind the work. Because of this, they do not get the credit, and most often are overlooked for important roles, such as heading a project or team leading – something they can easily excel. Therefore, it becomes absolutely necessary for you to blow your own trumpet and let others know what you know. You can share your abundant knowledge with others, especially with the top-level managers. You will get your rewards and at the same time, help others improve too. Embrace your strengths, because that’s what makes you.
If you want to prove your mettle, you must put yourself into leadership roles. Although it would be your first inclination to avoid such limelight sharing roles, you should volunteer for leadership roles because such roles are meant for an introvert like you, where you can establish your authority without being louder and talkative. Introverts tend to be more thoughtful, prudent, and calculative. They are less impulsive and less pompous. All of these qualities lead people to like you naturally. And since you are not the chatter-box always, when you open your mouth to speak or command, others will, as expected, listen to you and know your viewpoints.
Many workers’ part of their job description involves talking to a lot of inter departments employees or making field calls throughout the day. If you are in one such position, you can easily feel drained out being an introvert. Introverts can often feel stuck in their heads, and they sometimes take their thoughts to a negative road, which often involve stress and resentment.
Therefore, the best way to re-energize your mind is by being strategic about the time you have in your hand. For instance, avoid group lunches every day. Instead, sit alone, have your lunch and get some time to recover. If it helps, take some time out to walk around the office building. Introverts need a small period of alone time every day, and if you cannot find that at work, make sure you have your ‘me time’ at home. Thus, a small burst of alone time will make a huge difference in your performance.
That being said, we also suggest that you reach out to people and talk about how you feel. Since you have the habit of locking feelings and thoughts in, letting out can release the built-up frustration within you. You do not have to open up to everyone. Just one person in your peer group is more than enough to feel light and
Since introverts talk less, they are more listened to. When you have something to say at work, others give their full concentration to what you speak. As an introvert, you cannot do a spontaneous presentation and public speaking. You must do your homework before giving a speech. This has nothing to do with shyness. There are extroverts who have stage fear and are typically shy, but they manage somehow. On the other hand, offcuts presentations can make introverts totally uncomfortable. Planning what you would say will make you feel more at ease and more control over the people. Plus, thorough research will show your boss that you have done your work well.
To get noticed and heard among coworkers and managers, instead of speaking and socializing, use other means of communication that you are comfortable with. If you prefer writing like most introverts, you can use work email to share your thoughts, ideas, jokes, and handouts to let people know what is going on and what needs to be done. However, do not overload with too many mails. Emails are still one of the organized ways of communication at work and you will be sure that it has reached the right person. You should make your presence feel and therefore, you should not hesitate to use other forms of communication.
Some of you find the most trying situations are not the workplace lunches or coffee breaks, but the networking events, associate dinners, and cocktail parties. Although these events are extremely important to know your peers and associates at a closer and casual level, it is important to manage social commitments more effectively than how extroverts do. Therefore, we suggest you avoid over-committing. If you know yourself well, you will know you tend to say no to parties or chicken out last minute. This is not a good idea. Instead, be selective and choose places where you really want to go and that make you happy. If your presence is important, make sure you cut back on another event and accept the important one. Don’t over exhaust, but prioritize smartly.
In addition, it is not necessary that you have to talk to each and everyone present in the room. Have a good conversation with just a few people and that will be more than enough.
Rely on your active listening skills. Most extroverts do not listen. They talk non-stop, and often don’t give a true ear to another. On the other hand, introverts are great listeners, which make them even better problem solvers. The best way to develop a relationship at work is by paying attention to what others have to say. You tend to contribute to a discussion by asking meaningful questions rather than formulating a clever remark to pass. This makes you a popular speaker as well as a true inspirer. When you speak and when you do have something to say, rest assured others would listen to you.
You have a very contemplative disposition. You observe things, think over it, and then make a decision. Unlike extroverts, you don’t jump to conclusions because you know how to control your impulses, which ultimately lets you take wiser and smarter decisions. Your mental space can be used to solve problems and analyze issues, which can be a great benefit to the organization you are working for. Therefore, you should not hesitate to proactively look at bottlenecks or loopholes within the system and let people know what you found out. Your intrusive and instinctive mind can identify greater risks at their roots itself before they blow up to something big.
You are so focused and precise that you can get work done effortlessly that has been neglected or rejected by someone else who is easily distracted and scattered. Introverts can complete manipulative and complex works that extroverts find difficult to solve or complete. This is because your brain is channeled to think creatively. Moreover, your mind is calm and you have more mental space than most extroverts have. This is one of the solid ways to shine at your work and stay in the limelight just like your extroverted peers.
Use mystery and knowledge, coupled with the right job for you introverts, will take you a long way at work. Make sure you read our other post about the best jobs for introverts. If this article helped you, do share it.