10 Ways to Engage Introverts at Work in 2021
A lot of people know of Susan Cain's best-selling book, Quiet. Her TED talk has 27 million views. She popularized the importance of introverts like Steve Wozniak, Eleanor Roosevelt, Rosa Parks, and Gandhi. Parents of introverted kids have flocked to its ideas, comforted that it's gonna be OK to be an introverted kid. I agree. I'm one too.
But if you're a leader at work, do you support introverts? Cain observes that humans naturally gravitate toward whoever is the loudest or most charismatic. She reminds us that "there's zero correlation between being the best talker and having the best ideas. Zero."
I re-read Quiet, searching for best practices to apply to the workplace. I found this list:
prize independent interests and emphasize autonomy
conduct group activities in small, carefully managed groups
value kindness, caring, empathy, good citizenship
insist on orderly, inclusive collaboration
organize teams into small, intimate groups
chooses leaders who seem to understand the shy/serious/introverted/sensitive temperament
focus HR learning pathways on subjects that are particularly interesting to your team
enforce an anti-bullying program
emphasize a tolerant, down-to-earth culture
attracts like-minded peers depending on your team's preference
If you missed this in the book, don't worry. It's not in the book in this form.
This list is adapted from Cain's advice on how to choose an introvert-friendly school for your child in Chapter 11, called "On Cobblers and Generals—How to Cultivate Quiet Kids in a World That Can't Hear Them."
"On Cobblers and Generals" sounds like a good description of some workplaces, doesn't it?
Postscript: for a concrete set of introvert work-hacks, check out those work hacks.
Develop an allergy to arrogance
Use Slack and chat to engage introverts during Zoom calls
Share Mock Press Releases more broadly to encourage feedback from introverts
Tether introverts to extroverts on projects (watch the video from Jeff McMillan, CAO of Morgan Stanley, on how he accomplishes this with his data science team)
Share Susan Cain’s TED Talk, The Power of Introverts, with extroverts that you want to team with an introvert, so they understand why you’re doing it
Don’t be afraid of the Big Boss.
