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Linked – How to Turn Introverts Into Star Employees

ByMike McBride Reading Time: 2 minutes

Understand what your office introverts need to thrive. Many introverts, for example, like to have time to brainstorm ideas and flesh out their thoughts before meetings–as they’re good at working solo. So sending out agendas in advance of meetings can help them prepare. Many introverts prefer to write out, versus vocalize, their ideas. Solicit feedback via writing–such as via email–rather than expecting everyone to speak up in meetings.

With nearly half of all U.S. workers being introverts, it only makes sense that companies take steps to recognize their value and turn them into rock star employees.

As an introvert in what is, essentially, a very untypical job for an introvert, (I do talk to a classroom full of people all day.) there are still two things that will absolutely drive me bonkers. This is one of them.

Presenting me with something completely new and out of the blue in a meeting and expecting me to have an opinion on it, will drive me nuts. It isn’t possible for me to have feedback or have developed an opinion on something I’ve known about for 2 minutes.

It’s just not possible!

Oh the other thing that drives me bonkers? Forced social interactions with coworkers. Just no. There’s a really good chance that while I can work professionally with all of my coworkers, that I also have a serious dislike for one or more of them too. Don’t make me interact with them in a social setting, the pretending is exhausting enough during work hours.

Introverts spend an incredible amount of energy trying to get along with people who don’t understand us and are quite annoying to us. Don’t make it more work than it already is.

http://www.inc.com/thehartford/how-to-turn-introverts-into-star-employees.html

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