Introverts, we all have them and I’m sure you do too.
Those employees who are quiet, in the background, keep their head down… You know the people we mean.
It is very easy to label these employees as being hard work, not team players and frustrating. But that would be a mistake. Introverted people are often very insightful, and just because they don’t speak up, doesn’t mean they don’t have an opinion.
So how can you make sure your introverts don’t become wallflowers, dominated by their more extroverted colleagues?
Accept that they like to remain in the background – so don’t try to change that. Don’t push them to speak up or try to compete with other team members.
- Understand the way they work – try not to interrupt their workflow. Give them the chance to work from home if possible.
- Engineer opportunities for them to build trust and talk to you – keep up one to one sessions, learn about their hobbies and listen when they are ready to talk.
- Use email – they will feel less threatened, and you may find they are more forthcoming with ideas and opinions than they are face to face.
- Don’t push them to attend events outside of work
- Praise and reward – make sure that you don’t forget them just because they are quieter than some of your team. Be sure to praise them for good achievement, and reward them appropriately
Accept you won’t always get it right. Managing people is the most challenging part of any leadership role. But learn from what goes wrong and you’re well on the way to becoming a great manager.
If you would like help getting the most out of your team, please contact us on 01256 328 428.