How to Empower Introverts in the Workplace

How to Empower Introverts in the Workplace The idea that extroverts alone should lead the workforce is slowly fading away. Susan Cains book Quiet the Power of Introverts in a World That Cant Stop Talkingand awealth of research about how introverts do best in the workplace are actively reversing the myth that introverts are notlage as valuable to an organization as extroverts. Both types of people are equally capable of being great assets to an organization. In fact, research shows thatintroverted bosses are actually better for extroverts to work with. But its a give and take situation you cant simply focus all your efforts on introverts while ignoring your extroverts, and vice versa. So, how do you empower your introverted employeeswithout punishing your extroverts?Leave Them out of the Open OfficeOpen offices are popular nowadays because theyre relatively cheap, and organizations who use them wan t to createfriendlier environments that foster creativity between coworkers. As it turns out, open offices dont always accomplish that goal. In fact, open offices hinder introverts at work because of the overwhelming stimulation they produce, which prevents introverts from finding the peace they need to sit down and concentrate. Even worse, open offices dont benefit extroverts, eitherThere are lots of deleterious effects of these open-plan offices. They impair people from concentrating and then the greatest paradox of all is that they actually prevent people from forming close friendships If youre in a big, open office and you feel like you can be overheard, youre less likely to have intimate relationships with people. Susan Cain.If your small business is looking to save on office space, reorganizing your workplace to accommodate introverts might not be the easiest thing to do. However, you should attempt to find your introverts a more isolated place to work that is free from the constant distractions and chatter of the open office plan.Dont Underestimate Their Ability to Work With a kollektivBecause introverts tend to do their best work when theyre alone, its tempting to think they should be left to their own devices, isolated from their coworkers 100 percentof the time. This is a big mistake, as introverts are better atteamwork in office environments than their extroverted counterparts. Extroverts start strong in team projects because they tend to work better with people, but because introverts are more concerned with what others think of them, theyre more likely to focus on the work and get it done so others wont think ill of them.Introverted does not necessarily mean shy. When putting a team together to knock an important task out of the park, dont avoid putting your known introverts with other people because you dont think itll work out. If introverts are engaged with and fulfilled by their work, theyll do whats asked of them better than anyone else.Le t Them Be HeardFeedback from introverts can be just as valuable as feedback from other employees. But often, introverts dont feel like speaking out in crowded environments and keep to themselves. Some leaders have found ways to let the introverts around them speak, such asorganizing meetings in ways that allow every person to have their say and preventing people from talking over each other.You might also need to train introverts to find their own ways to speak out. Cain has stories of workers who had their own ways of speaking and relaying feedback even at the top of the corporate ladderThere was one CEO who had to remind himself when walking down the hallway to make eye contact and greet people, because his natural inclination would be to walk lost in thought, solving some problem. But he realized people thought he was being aloof and dismissive of them. Susan Cain.Theres no easy way to identify who at your organization is or isnt an introvert, but these tips should help everyon e in the workplace. As you get to know the people you work with better, youll find your own ways to help your introverts make the most of their workdays. Just be sure to let them breathe every once in a while