Introverts: Figure Out Who You Are and Do It On Purpose
Raise your hand if you’ve been called “too quiet” at work.
Are you told speaking up more in meetings would lead to better career progression opportunities?
Are you encouraged to be more visible and engage more with your outgoing colleagues?
Do you frequently face pressure from misguided judgments that your quiet nature makes you somehow less worthy or less productive?
Not only is this stereotyping false, it can severely hinder your growth. You start behaving in a way that you wouldn’t normally behave and start morphing into an inauthentic version of you.
Where’s the Evidence: Quiet = Less Productive?
I came across a flawed assumption this week that introverts are less productive than extroverts.
Let’s clear that up straight away. There is zero empirical data showing any correlation between being introverted and reduced productivity. Just because you thrive in quiet solo settings with intense focus, and your particular strengths lie in detail-oriented tasks like analysis and strategising doesn’t mean you’re not delivering as much as the next person.
A lack of productivity can be a result of many things, laziness being one, a bad work ethic or a bad manager.
In fact, the most thoughtful solutions to business conundrums frequently derive from reflective consideration before speaking, versus interruption and immediate reaction. Introverts win by avoiding unnecessary meetings and dedicating uninterrupted time to business-driving deliverables.
Appearances Deceive: Fluent Talkers vs. Deep Thinkers
Smooth, confident communication genuinely does not equal the best ideas. Extroverts have been at it all of their lives, experienced from childhood in socialisation, and often possess greater natural ease chatting to strangers. But being effective in conversation and convincing others through verbal keenness or witty banter doesn’t mean you’re a master in generating innovative concepts.
You thrive when given enough mental workspace and freedom from continual chatter. Your avoidance of constant external stimulation leans beautifully into examining issues from all angles resulting in unique solutions.
Also, you tend not to cut off coworkers when they’re talking. This natural patience from introverts leaves room for in-depth conversations. It allows time to fully think through ideas before adding your perspective.
Action Over Talk: Your Real Work Shows Your Worth
While extroverts will readily shout about their latest business accomplishments, you demonstrate quiet dedication through consistently high quality contributions. Just because you socialise less around the office absolutely does not indicate you aren’t collaborating or producing just as much.
You’ll build profound one-on-one relationships so that you can exchange ideas without draining small talk getting in the way. You’re a master of leveraging written communication channels, allowing time for considered responses in your schedule. How patient you are!
The truth is, those loud, braggy types tend to hog the spotlight in meetings. They interrupt people constantly and later act like every team effort was their personal genius idea. But that doesn’t give an accurate picture of who’s actually driving results. You don’t like to toot your own horn, so your contributions fly under the radar. But you don’t need to shout from the rooftops for people to recognise real value.
Ignore Untruths: Define Your Own Strengths & Strategies
You don’t need to bend yourself trying to match expectations that just don’t fit who you are. You can write your own story when it comes to how you work best. Think about when you’ve been in your element at work. How can you recreate those ideal conditions more of the time?
Reflect on the days when you were at your peak performance and keep a note in a journal, soon you’ll be able to pick out patterns. Then set up your days intentionally to recreate that excellence. Start early or finish late for some distraction-free focus time. Structure uninterrupted blocks for deep mental exertion on complex projects and make a suggestion to management for regular “deep work days” in a quiet space.
Don’t feel pressure to be an open book or to collaborate widely from the start. Build 1:1 working relationships first to create and develop trust gradually before engaging bigger groups. Communicate your needs that enable you to work at your best, like preparation time before big meetings.
The key insight? External perceptions of introverts are often flawed in limiting ways. But when you truly understand your own personality design, you can consciously play to your strengths. You define your own reality. When you know your truth and value others will see it too.
