Introverted employees often feel left out in a workplace because they are not as comfortable socialising or openly communicating with others. Leaving their comfort zone is hard, therefore, they prefer not to be noticed at work. Introverts are shy and feel uncomfortable sharing ideas, which may often be mistaken for disengagement. Working with introverts doesn’t mean creating safe bubbles for your staff, but rather creating a balanced workspace that doesn’t favour extroverted or introverted employees. Team members value each other more when they know why their peers are the way they are, Emma Otusajo at Introvert Whisperer is quoted in the article ‘How Managers Can Encourage Introverts and Turn Them into Leaders’. Managers should ask their employees how they want to connect to make the workplace comfortable for all. Net photo. Salma Muhorakeye, a manager at a law firm in Kigali, says that introverted people in a workplace need a little push from managers by providing a platform for them to explore their potential. “A manager that wants every employee to excel in their career should not ignore those who find it hard to expose their potential, doing so makes the introverts feel that they are a joke in the workplace. Instead, a manager should find ways to always push them and make them feel that they too are potential employees, managers can hold meetings to have a chat with the ones that are struggling to be seen in the workplace and get to know them and how to provide a suitable platform for them,” she says. Muhorakeye also adds that frequent positive feedback is good enough to let know an introvert know that they are understood and that it is okay for them to share their ideas and show their skills. Margeurite Uwayezu works for a local mining company and says that understanding their working style and understanding them as humans can really help them find their potential, but it also can help a manager know how to build a platform for them. “Introverts are often mistaken for being uninterested and rude because they don’t talk a lot, but they are really nice people with great ideas and skills. They sometimes don’t know how to communicate their capability but managers are the ones to learn about their character and understand them, if understood they will feel included in the workplace,” she says. According to Workest, a news hub for small businesses, there is a big misconception about introverts making their way around the workplace in that many leaders underestimate the potential contributions they can make. Rather, introverted employees have many positive traits like active listening, compassion, thoughtfulness, and connectedness that produce top-notch leaders. George Bugingo who works for a design company says that managers should ensure everyone has a seat at the table. “Many companies and workplaces tend to give the voice to the most audible ones or the ones that feel no fear in speaking up, and tend to ignore the quiet ones but this only makes them feel unappreciated. Managers should learn personalised approaches and have strategies in putting everyone upfront, they should empower all employees equally,” he says. Workest shares a few things managers should do in putting up platforms that help introverts unleash their potential: Understand how they like to work First, you want to understand how introverts like to work and implement strategies that reflect that. Once you understand these simple principles, you can help to build a work environment around them. If your employees spend time at the office, these strategies become even more critical as you want to ensure that you aren’t forcing employees to work in conditions that stifle their growth. Rewire how you think about speaking out Next, you have to rewire your expectations around speaking up at work. For example, some employees will thrive in a large group brainstorming session, but introverts need a different approach. Ask how they want to receive praise or constructive criticism Peer-to-peer recognition programmes seem to be all the rage these days. Unfortunately, public recognition may not work for all of your employees. Some of your staff members will prefer private recognition, and that’s okay. If you want to implement a peer recognition programme, start by asking everyone their feedback preferences. You can do the same for constructive criticism. Help them take credit Introverts are not necessarily shy, but many do not like drawing attention to themselves, unlike their extrovert counterparts. This makes it hard for introverts to stand up and take credit for their accomplishments at work. This is where you, the manager, must step in. All employees need to be recognised publicly for their contributions, it affects their level of motivation and, often, their ability to be promoted.
