In my blog in early 2022, I wrote about retaining your top talent in the midst of the “great resignation”, I’ve invited some of my esteemed colleagues to write about the kinds of things leaders need to pay attention to and this week I’d like to introduce you to Executive Coach, Emma Taggart. Here Emma talks about how to get the most out of the introverts in your team.
According to research, between one-third and one-half of people have a preference for introversion[i]. That means up to half of your team could be introverts, whether they describe themselves that way or not.
Work culture is such that the talents of introverts are often routinely wasted. This article explains why, and provides some pointers for leaders who want to get the most from introverted colleagues and motivate them to stay.
What does it mean to be introverted? It’s probably not what you think!
The key difference between an introvert and an extravert is how we respond to stimulation. Extraverts need the stimulation of people and activity to feel good. Introverts need stimulation too but if we get too much we start to feel grim (a bit like a hangover without drinking any alcohol). Scientists believe this could be because introverts are more sensitive to dopamine, the chemical that floods our system when we are on-the-go and with people.
Another important difference is this: extraverts ‘speak to think’ whereas introverts prefer to turn ideas over in our minds before vocalising. Both thinking styles have pros and cons. Neither way is ‘best’, just different.
Maybe you hold misconceptions about what it means to be introverted (many people do). For the record, introversion does not mean shy or anti-social.
It’s a bold claim to say you’re wasting half the talent in your team. Here are four examples to help you decide if that’s true:
Is your meeting culture biased towards extraverts?
They love to talk (it’s how they think) and will not hesitate to share whatever comes into their heads. Introverts prefer to think first, speak later. So if your meetings are a poorly run free-for-all and rely on people jumping in to say their piece, you are missing out on the ideas of half the people in the room. Unless the meeting is well-facilitated, frustrated introverts will leave without speaking or will be drowned out by the biggest talkers. Everybody loses when half the ideas in the room don’t make it out of people’s heads.
Are people spending hours in back-to-back meetings every day?
If so, that’s a problem. Back-to-back meetings, especially video calls, are not particularly good for anyone[ii]. Introverts quickly become overstimulated without regular breaks to recover. They can’t think straight, it becomes difficult to string a sentence together and they feel an overwhelming need to withdraw. They go home exhausted, unable to spend quality time with friends and family because leisure time is spent alone to recharge.
Do you believe collaboration is the best way to get things done?
Collaboration is of course important. But assuming teamwork is always best prevents introverts from using one of their superpowers – the ability to think deeply, analyse problems and come up with innovative solutions. If you enable the introverted members of your team to spend more time thinking in solitude before sharing their ideas and opinions you will be amazed by what they come up with.
Do you believe people need to be in the office most of the time to be effective?
Thankfully the pandemic challenged the outdated idea that everyone has to be physically in the same place to get things done. When introverts are forced to work in open-plan environments they quickly become overstimulated by the noise and chat. Their effectiveness is reduced and they go home exhausted. I’m sceptical when a leader insists staff must spend the majority of working hours in the office. Good leadership boils down to communication and trust. If your team knows what is expected of them and you have robust methods of monitoring progress and dealing with underperformance, there is absolutely no need for them to be under your watchful eye.
If you recognise talent is being wasted, the good news is it’s relatively easy to fix. When you understand the needs and preferences of introverts and extroverts you can quickly identify small changes to improve the work culture and environment. Here are some suggestions:
- Stop telling people they’re ‘too quiet’. Instead, ask what you can do to help them find their voice.
- Allow people time to reflect before they are expected to offer ideas and opinions, or make a decision. Research suggests that group brainstorming is overrated[iii]. It is more effective to ask people to come up with ideas on their own first, then get together to chew them over. Take a break to reflect alone on what has been heard, then come back together to make a decision (preferably on a different day when ideas have had time to develop).
- Hold fewer meetings so that people have time to focus on deep work (this benefits everyone but particularly introverts who need plenty of uninterrupted quiet time to do their best work).
- Improve the meetings you do hold by learning some basic facilitation skills. This will enable everyone to participate, not just the natural talkers.
- Shift the emphasis away from talking to incorporate and encourage more listening. Stop expecting introverts to jump into the conversation. Start asking extraverts to stay quiet for a few minutes so that others can have the floor.
- Enable people to communicate in writing when they want to and it’s appropriate –don’t assume talking is the default way to share.
- Don’t insist everyone has to come back to the office X days a week. Ask people what environment helps them to do their best work, then balance that with the needs of the team and business as far as possible. If you don’t do this, don’t be surprised when people leave.
If you implement these suggestions the introverts in your team will be more engaged and motivated. They will feel calmer, have more energy and be more likely to perform at their best. The whole team will generate more ideas and make better decisions.
You are invited to reflect:
- What are you assuming that perpetuates a culture biased towards extroversion?
- What can you do differently to level the playing field?
Making the most of the introverts in your team is part of building an inclusive culture and promoting wellbeing. It isn’t difficult if you are willing to examine assumptions and adapt the way your team works.
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[i] Cain, S. (2012) Quiet. London: Viking.
[ii] Jaing, M. (2020) The reason Zoom calls drain your energy. Available at: https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20200421-why-zoom-video-chats-are-so-exhausting [Accessed: 17th February 2022]
[iii] The Harvard Gazette (2018). Problem-solving techniques take on new twist. Available at: https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2018/08/collaborate-on-complex-problems-but-only-intermittently/ [Accessed: 17th February 2022.]
