Being visible
without losing yourself

Being an introvert in the workplace can sometimes feel tough. You are drowned out by extroverted colleagues, you find it difficult to make yourself visible, and you deflate faster due to lots of social stimuli. The benefits often remain underexposed, while introverted qualities add a lot of value within teams and organizations. Show yourself in a way that suits you. An authentic introvert is appreciated more than a forced extrovert.

What is introversion?

Introversion is a personality trait that indicates where you get your energy from. As an introvert, you draw energy from yourself, from your own thoughts and ideas. You feel comfortable in small groups or alone. You think before you speak and you have no need to constantly put yourself in the foreground.

Extraversion works differently. Extraverts draw energy from people and activities around them. They like to talk and talk a lot, are enterprising and spontaneous and often visibly present. In short, they like to make themselves heard and are not afraid of being in the spotlight.

Introversion and extraversion are not black and white concepts. Most people move somewhere between those two extremes. Ambiverted people combine both sides. Moreover, you may behave differently in different situations. At work you may be more reserved, while at home you are much more talkative. You adapt to what is needed or what feels comfortable for you.

Value of introversion in the workplace

Our society seems to focus mainly on extroverted qualities, such as spontaneity, sociability and assertiveness. Introverted qualities are an important complement to these. Introverts often work deeply, analyze carefully and listen with full attention. In addition, we see that introverts are often creative, handle feedback well and meet more deadlines.

Introverted colleagues bring valuable traits:

• Listening: as an introvert, you empathize well, ask sharp questions and give others space to tell their stories.
• Analyzing: as an introvert, you process complex information, see patterns and formulate thoughtful solutions. You work precisely and critically.
• Concentrate: As an introvert, you need few distractions and can focus on one task for long periods of time. You go for quality and depth.

How do you show yourself as an introvert in the workplace?

As an introvert, you contribute a lot to a team or organization. It is important to make this visible without pretending to be different than you are. Profile yourself without denying who you are. These tips will help.

• Prepare. Introverts often need more time to organize and articulate their thoughts. Therefore, prepare for situations. Are you going to pitch an idea? Think about what you want to say in advance, write it down and practice it out loud. That way you avoid being caught off guard by a question or comment. You can then make your point confidently and clearly.
• Choose your moment. In groups, it is sometimes difficult to get involved in the conversation. If you wait too long, you miss the chance to be heard. So deliberately create moments. Find one-on-one contact, ask for feedback or plan a short consultation. You will build trust and you will become more visible.
• Be yourself. Maybe you tend to conform to the extroverted norm. Don’t! You don’t have to imitate extroverted behavior to be successful. That takes energy and makes you less credible. Instead, emphasize your own qualities. Your sincere, calm style often works enlightening for others and brings balance to teams.

Learn more about introversion

Imitating extroverted habits never lasts long. You fake your own behavior and it only creates tension because your behavior doesn’t match how you work and think. Your strengths lie precisely in the introvert in you. You possess traits that your extroverted colleagues do not. Complement each other and reinforce each other.

Learn how to communicate your ideas clearly, how to make yourself visible your way and how to deal effectively with situations where extraversion seems to be the norm. You will thereby strengthen your position in the workplace and stay true to yourself.