Exhibit calmness
Introverts are usually quiet, reserved, and low-key. Unlike extroverts, they
have no desire to be the center of attention, preferring to fly below the
radar instead. Even in heated conversations or circumstances, they tend to
stay calm--at least on the outside--and speak softly and slowly.
The hard realities
"It's not easy being green," laments Muppet Kermit the Frog. Same goes
for being introverted in an extroverted business culture. With their
appetite for talk and attention, extroverts dominate the workplace.
Meanwhile, introverts--with their quiet smarts and unsung successes--sit on
the professional sidelines. Some hard realities faced by introverted pros:
People exhaustion
Introverts can experience an assortment of ailments at work--headaches,
backaches, stomachaches, and more--yet feel fine off the job. This mind-body
response to stress can result from a wide range of factors. The chief
culprit: people exhaustion.
Project overload
Introverts tend to have difficulty saying no and find it equally hard to ask
for help or direction. As a result, they frequently feel overloaded with
projects and deadlines--hurting their on-the-job performance and work-life
balance.
Underselling
Introverts typically stay mum about their accomplishments--seeming to abide
by the old Southern adage, "Don't brag on yourself." Yet today careers are
made or broken by what others know about a person's skills and potential.
Introverts, therefore, can miss out on promotions or plum assignments simply
because they don't sell themselves.
Unheard ideas
Introverts often have great ideas that go unheard. In group settings, they
may show up with smart solutions, yet can't seem to find an opening in which
to share them. Even in one-on-one conversations--especially with talkers--they
have trouble interjecting their ideas and being heard.
Failure to "play the game"
Introverts routinely retreat from office politics. Sure, politics can be
nasty,
but much of the game is natural and necessary, particularly for building
relationships up and down an organization. Introverts, with their desire to
be low-key, often fail to sniff out important politicking opportunities and
wind up watching their extroverted colleagues get ahead.
Onward--and upward
There is no magic bullet for managing your introversion. But in today's
noisy business world and workplace, you can learn how to thrive. The goal is
not changing your personality or natural work style, but embracing and
expanding who you are. As an ongoing framework, follow the "4 P's":
preparation (devising game plans); presence (focusing on the moment); push
(stretching and growing); and practice (rehearsing and refining new skills).
Seven practical tips for getting started:
Have a game plan.
Rather than wing it on the people part of your job, have a game plan.
Prepare for high-stakes meetings and conversations--anticipating questions
and rehearsing your responses. Fact is, just as you strategize for key
projects and tasks, you need to plan ahead for connecting with people--and
taking regular timeouts to refuel your energy.
Communicate early and often.
It's easy for introverts to be out of sight--and out of mind. So, take the
initiative
in sharing information--communicating early and often with higher-ups, team
members, and project stakeholders. Don't wait to be asked for updates or
news about your accomplishments. Find out what people need to feel confident
in you and provide it to them--ahead of time.
Match the medium to the message.
Resist the temptation to hide behind e-mail. It may appear to be the easiest
or safest channel, but it's not always the right one. For every exchange,
match the medium to the message--determining if texting, e-mail, phone, or
face-to-face
is best. Texting and e-mail may be great for quick exchanges, but they miss
the mark in critical high-touch areas, including developing relationships
and delivering difficult news.
Use social networking to set the stage.
Technology is a great tool for preparing to meet people. Use social
networking Web sites such as Facebook and Twitter to set the stage for
connecting with others in person at meetings and events. You can introduce
yourself, send "news you can use" items, and warm up cold leads--all in a
low-key yet friendly way.
Get your voice in the room.
Without delay, speak up in meetings and conference calls. Try to make your
first comment no more than five minutes into the session. Even a quick
question, remark, or paraphrase will do. You need to be seen as a
contributor, but the longer you wait, the harder it becomes.
Stand up to "talkers."
Don't be afraid to take on the talkers in group or one-on-one settings.
There are several ways to stand up and get a word in edgewise. One simple,
sure-fire strategy: hold up your hand, give the stop or timeout signal, and
calmly announce, "I'd like to say something."
Value humor.
"A smile is the shortest distance between two people," mused entertainer
Victor Borge. As a reserved, inner-focused contributor, you can overcome
perceptions of being standoffish or too serious by smiling, laughing, and
having fun now and then. You need not "yuk it up"--just be good-humored.
Finally, practice, practice, practice. Learning new skills and behaviors
may be uncomfortable at first, but with conscious repetition and refinement,
you can manage
your introversion--and thrive in the extroverted business world.
Jennifer B. Kahnweiler, Ph.D., is a workplace and careers expert and
author of
The Introverted Leader: Building on Your Quiet Strength
(Berrett-Koehler,
$19.95). Founder and president of AboutYOU, Inc., an Atlanta-based
leadership consultancy,
she is an executive coach and corporate speaker. Contact her on the Web at
aboutyouinc.com and
theintrovertedleaderblog.com.
Copyright 2009 AboutYOU, Inc. All rights reserved.
