Understanding the quiet ones
A couple of days ago, a popular actor, committed suicide. He was young and earned more money than an average middle-class person could ever imagine. He was a story of hope and following passions. He did some brilliant films.
News has it that this person committed suicide due to depression. It shook many people to the core. I have to admit I was one of them. I don’t know why. After a bit of research, this is what I found out about him:
- He wanted to learn how to fly an airplane.
- He was an intellectual. An interview showed him talking about the Indian Schooling System, mentioning that schools cannot predict the jobs of tomorrow. Tomorrow’s jobs are based on coding.
- He didn’t have a good network or he didn’t say the right things to the right people.
- He was an introvert.
- He was talented and worked hard.
Yet, he committed suicide. There are reports of him being schizophrenic, there are also many other versions of the ‘truth’ that have been reported in the media.
The sad truth is across any workplace is this: Hard work and talent don’t take you places. If you are an introvert, or would rather let your ‘work speak for itself,’ then nine times out of ten, you will find it very hard to step up the professional ladder.
If in a moment, of frustration, you do blurt out something you regret, it will be shoved at you every moment, and used against you.
This post is not about motivation or demotivation.
This post is definitely not about asking introverts to become extroverts.
This post is just the state of affairs right now.
You need to network, socialize with the right people to be able to move up in your professional network. If you would like to make your work do the talking for you, then there’s a fat chance of it being noticed.
It all depends on how your reporting manager sees you. This is a common statement everyone agrees to: You don’t leave the company. You leave the boss.
I’ve read posts across the internet, about making yourself visible to your manager because your manager is “too busy to notice” or “ working across multiple projects.”
If your managers sees through your work, then despite being an introvert, you stand a chance. Otherwise, it’s all about taking yourself out of your comfort zone and figuring out ways to network, socialize, and take it forward from there.
Across the globe, people are talking about being more ‘human.’ Whether it is the #BlackLivesMatter, #AllLivesMatter, or posts about #Depression or even #Suicide and #MentalHealth.
However, the simple act of understanding one another is not spoken about at all. I know people who are depressed, who just want to be left alone, while they do their work. I’ve seen so many of them during my work tenure. People who are reading this post might have seen even more.
The thought of #Humanity and #Sensitivity towards other people at the workplace is not a new one, neither is it complex. It just requires taking time out of your busy day and pausing before commenting on others. If you can’t be of help or can’t understand the reason behind them wanting to be alone, just let it be. Sometimes, they have a valid reason. Sometimes they don’t. It’s up to you, how you choose to understand them. Maybe, if they find your silence soothing or understanding they will reach out to you themselves.