When you are the boss – whether that be the big-boss or a manager – you need to accept you will have two types of personalities to manage: extroverts and introverts. And they couldn’t be more different.
For extroverts, their energy and abilities come from external stimulation, whether that be client meetings, solving problems on the spot, interactions with others, and those kinds of things.
Managing introverts, however, is a very different ball game and this is because they operate best when they are given the time and space to think. This isn’t always the easiest for a manager, but get it right and you will find your introverted employees are the most invaluable source of awesomeness in your entire operation:
So, without further ado, here are some top tips on how to manage your more introverted employees:
- Time To Think Is Key
One of the most common traits among introverts is being able to perform better when given the time to think first, whether that’s to do with generating ideas or pitching in at meetings. This can make it tricky when there is a pressing deadline or a lack of time, but a little bit of forward-thinking on your part can work wonders. Something as simple as handing out a meeting agenda in advance can see your introverted employees ponder what’s needed and contribute with invaluable ideas. If you can’t hand out agendas, then give your introverts that chance to pitch their ideas after the meeting.
- Space Is Essential
While extroverts thrive of external stimulation, introverts can find it draining and really struggle if there is too much going on around them. The problem is, you probably don’t have an office with enough space to give everyone their own private space. But that’s not going to be an issue so long as you have somewhere people can go for a bit of peace and quiet and refuge. This will let them perform a thousand times better than if they are in a crowded room of loud talkers. It could be a creative corner somewhere or it might mean allowing people to use meeting rooms when they are empty.
- Let The Learn Differently
Extroverts learn better when they are in a classroom with lots of interaction and the chance to ask questions as and when they need to. Introverts, however, prefer to work at their own pace and in silence, which is where blended learning and digital solutions really come into their own, as you can see here. Not only will this help you train your employees better though, it will also give you a better audit trail of how they got on and where they need to improve.
- Introverts Are Morning People
This is what studies say anyway. They say introverts have more energy early on in the day, which is why we advise you to have your most-important meetings done before lunch. This is because, as we said above, external stimulus can exhaust them, so a hectic day in the office will see them struggling in the afternoon.
