I’ve dedicated my career to teaching the science of communication, and over the years, many people have approached me during training sessions, saying, “You’re so good at this. You’re clearly an extrovert!”
This isn’t the case at all. I have always known that I’m an introvert, and communication hasn’t come easily to me. However, with intention, research, and focus, I went from being a shy and introverted boy to the CEO and founder of Body Talk, a global leader in evidence-based training on communication.
Being introverted doesn’t have to hinder your communication, but it does mean you need to cultivate a different awareness to set yourself up for success.
How Do You Know if You’re an Introvert?
Ask yourself the following questions:
- What kind of situation helps you recharge?
Does being around other people energize you? If so, you’re probably an extrovert.
Does spending time by yourself energize you? If so, you’re probably an introvert.
- How do you process ideas?
Extroverts prefer to chat with people about their ideas in order to clarify what they think.
Introverts prefer to think through things alone before presenting their ideas back to a group.
Of course, you may be an introvert in some ways or situations and an extrovert in others. Like many things, there’s a spectrum. No one fits neatly into one box. Some people sit in the middle as an ambivert.
If you’re an introvert, you may feel drained by being around a lot of people. Because most modern-day workplaces require interacting with others, it’s important to find ways to perform at your best no matter where you are or who is present.
How Can Introverts Excel at Work?
Introverts need to be alone to recharge and process, so if this is true for you, it’s your responsibility to carve out time for yourself to do this. (Or, if you manage a team, ensure you empower your introverts to take time to work alone when needed.)
Be sure to make time for yourself on the weekends so you can return on Monday fully recharged.
When you’re at work, schedule time in your calendar for unbroken concentration. It’s easy to look at the empty space in your calendar and fill it with activities that feel productive, but as an introvert, your solitude is a necessity for productivity. This is especially important when it comes to preparing for meetings. How can you expect yourself to be energized if you don’t allow yourself space first?
Because introverts process ideas best by themselves, when you’re preparing for an important meeting, contact the organizer and ask for a list of key discussion points. This way, you can think privately about your suggestions before sharing them at the meeting. Additionally, don’t make decisions in the room. When it’s time to think through key decisions, ask for time to process and reflect.
Others may function best by bouncing ideas off each other, and this can be an opportunity for you to take time to reflect internally. If you’re able to do so, suggest creating two working groups: one for out-loud discussion and one for internal reflection. The groups can reconvene after 15 minutes to give more productive responses.
Let Being an Introvert Be Your Strength
While extroverts excel at back-and-forth discussions, introverts deliver excellent speeches, as they can carefully prepare and execute one-way communication. Put yourself forward for speeches and presentations. Save the Q&A for the end to allow you to stay in the flow during your delivery, and you can even enlist an extroverted colleague to help you navigate it!
When teaching courses on communication, we often discuss the habits and tendencies that emerged in the very beginning of humanity. We may fear public speaking because our fight-or-flight response has kicked in, even though we aren’t facing predators the way we used to. We may fear rejection because, thousands of years ago, being rejected by our communities meant certain death.
In these ancient communities, we all had our own roles. This diversity in skills and responsibilities ensured our survival. I like to think of introverts and extroverts in the same way: We each have our own skills, playing our own role in the success and innovation of our workplace.
How will you use your introverted qualities to thrive?
Richard Newman is the author of the new book Lift Your Impact, which shows you how to transform your mindset, communication, and influence to achieve your goals.