Do you have an introvert in your office, and you just don't know what to do with him/her/them?
In March of 2013,
Ilya Pozin interviewed Bradley Sharkey, and between them, they outlined a list of misinterpreted behaviors of introverts, and what their co-workers can and should do about them:
- They're quiet. Yeah, I'll agree with that. I know plenty of introverts who aren't quiet, but they can sure seem that way when you don't know how to get them started.
- They avoid large group settings. At least, for any length of time, yeah.
- They do not enjoy repeating themselves; in fact, they hate it. Oh, my goodness, yes. If you don't want to listen to me, don't engage me. If you don't care about the answer, don't ask the question. Small talk is not inherently polite!
- They seem OK in one-on-one conversations but withdraw in big meetings. Sure. I'm not really afraid of public speaking. But I really don't want to network afterwards.
The advice attached to the above points really seems like common sense to me -- don't interrupt; don't take it personally if they skip happy hour -- but we all define "common sense" differently, so definitely consider checking this article out.
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