Did you know that some introverted people lose their job due to their quietness or have reasons to worry that they will be let go of their job if they don’t change their quiet way?
The feedback that they often receive are:
- People are uncomfortable with how quiet you are
- You need to be more social
- You need to be happier
- You need to speak up more
Essentially, the feedback is to be different from who you are. And an interesting thing happens when you tell an introvert to talk more- it actually has the opposite effect. It shuts us down.
It shuts us down because we often are already feeling self-conscious of how quiet we are. We know that our quietness is not measuring up to social standards. So we feel embarrassed when this happens which makes it even harder to speak.
The overall result is that employers are feeling frustrated with their quiet employees, and the quiet employees are showing up at work with more anxiety and self-doubt. This is a lose-lose situation for both of them.
Companies may let great employees go due to lack of understanding introversion. It doesn’t have to be this way.
What companies need to know about their Introverted employees
- The first very important point is that being introverted is not a deficit. Introversion is not something to get over, or to get rid of.
- The next point is that employers need to see the positive aspects that go with introversion. Introversion is often defined as the absence of extroversion which sets it up as a deficit. Introversion needs to be seen for what it is, not what it isn’t.
- Introverted employees are often hard working, committed, and do very detailed work. Because social interactions can be draining, the more we socialize, the more it impacts the quality of work.
- The more time we have to prepare for a meeting, presentation, etc. the better we can show up for it. Introverts often don’t do well thinking on the spot unless it’s an area that we know well. It’s also important to know that we are impacted quickly by stimulus. What might not seem like a stimulus can still be a stimulus to an introverted person. An example of this is that talking to more than one person can be a stimulus. Having two pairs of eyes or more on us can quickly feel overwhelming. So again, the more preparation we have, the better we can handle things.
Why this makes a difference to the Employee
Once introversion is understood in the workplace, the shifts that are required are worth the energy. There is much research out there that says employees stay in their positions longer when the work environment meets their needs. When the needs of the introverted employees are met alongside the needs of the extroverted employees, the work environment can be significantly improved.
If you are wanting to make changes in the workplace for the introverted employees, and would like to discuss booking me for a presentation, click the link to book a free consult with me: https://bookafreesessionwithtracy.as.me/schedule.php
