Definition of Introvert:
Introvert, it is a term used for type of people who are not much into the habit of talking and socializing with everyone around them.
These people find it better to spend their time alone and most of them prefer to keep a distance from everyone else.
It is sometimes mistaken for some mental illness or something of that sort but that is completely wrong and people should immediately stop thinking like that.
It is just their preference of staying apart and their choice to stay within themselves.
In most of the cases it is seen that the introvert persons generally do not speak up or open up so frequently like the others and they hesitate to share their ideas and feelings freely.
In reality it is very commonly seen that the introverts are more talented and have more capacity than the others and they have more potential than the others.
It is mainly because they spend most of the time thinking and do not mix up with the surrounding people.
They spend that time with themselves and thinking deeply about something. So, they are mostly the persons with more success and more achievements.
Dealing with Introverts:
Well, while dealing with an introvert we should be careful to give him / her amount of space required. We should not be pushing too much.
Socializing with the introverts can sometimes be really tough as they do not like much to open up.
So, you should be patient with them and should not be pressurizing them too much for anything. You should also give them the space or aloneness whenever required.
They also do not speak much and are mostly quite. So, you need to sometimes give them some time and understand what they want instead of expecting them to readily speak out. It is best to leave them to do the thinking and wait for them to talk and open up.
Social Tips to Deal with Introverts:
There are certain rules to be followed before socializing or making friends with the introverts. You should remember the few points before dealing with introverts:
- They need some time alone not because they hate you or do not like being with you. It is because they prefer to stay alone and feel it better. It is just their personal choice and you should understand it rather than taking it personally or blaming them for this attitude.
- They spend the alone time to think about their personal matters or just to give their mind a break or may be to see the other people with extrovert mentality in action. It is not that they judge people or think the people with extrovert mentality to be inferior.
- When they say that they are having fun or enjoying just by simply being alone or staying within them it is exactly the same. It may not seem so to you and you may be surprised that they are having a different habit, but it is their own choice and you should not try to change it or judge them by this habit.
- They may not like to party and may well avoid it or leave early from the party. You should not be judgmental about this habit or term them like party poopers or something like old fashioned people. It is just because they don’t like to mix up with people much and that is just not their cup of tea.
- They can be silent or have a quite nature. If you want them to be friendly or talk to you or may be looking for their personal opinion on something or any expertise, you may have to wait and give them the time for it as the introvert people generally do not like to speak out much or give opinions. In other words, they do not like to jump to be heard.
- Socializing with the introvert people can sometimes be really tough and can take some effort as they do not like to socialize much or do take a lot of time to be friendly. They also do not talk too much on the phone in most of the cases. They may look shy to talk or too much hesitant. It is better that you leave them the way they are and not try too much. They may not take it well.
Introverts at work place and ways to deal with them:
Introverts at work place can be sometimes very hard to handle. It is because they do not communicate so much or open up to people.
They prefer to stay within themselves. So, for the boss or the seniors it can be sometimes very hard to make them work and bring out the desired output from them.
But it is also seen that they are having more potential than the other colleagues and they sometimes provide the best results.
So, it is always advisable that the seniors give them enough time and opportunity to bring out the best in them and think properly rather than pressurizing them and taking their introvert nature as their negative attitude.
The seniors should understand the introvert employees properly and should not treat them like the others who are free to open up and show their feelings. They basically need some more time to plan, think and prepare.
It is also seen that most of the times the persons with introvert nature do not prefer to hang out with the other colleagues or party like everyone else. They prefer to stay back at home or do something of their own.
So, the other employees should also understand this matter and should treat them as normal people with some need of personal time.
The persons with an introvert nature can also be tired while interacting with the people and socializing. It is quite normal and they should be given their required space and should not be interfered.
There should also be, if possible an environment in the offices where the introverts can think and work peacefully without the need to interact with many people and socialize. They should be given a calm environment.
The bosses should also understand that silence is another important thing for the introverts. They choose to remain silent for most of the times and that can either be because they are thinking deeply about something or they have already finished saying what they had to say.
So, their silence should be respected and they should be allowed to stay calm and silent.
They are also not much into the social media which is more into use nowadays and if you try to catch up with them on the social media, it is basically useless as they do not interact much and prefers not to socialize much.
It is not their old fashioned nature, but it is their preference not to interact much with people.
Apart from respecting their aloneness and giving them the space they want, you should also try to become their voice and help them to live in the work place and work smoothly with the others. For that you can do these things:
- Help them to speak out fluently and help them get their time. Most of the people tend to interrupt them while speaking. You can very well be their voice and help them to openly express their feelings even if they need a bit more time.
- Giving equal opportunity to the quite candidates while recruiting employees as they are also having equal potential and sometimes they have more potential than the others who like to socialize readily.
- As they do not like to speak much or give their opinions or expertise views, they also do not like to point out the small achievements to get some compliments like the other extroverts. So, as a senior or a boss, you can consider the situation and compliment them for their small achievements and that will give them some more urge to work hard.
If you try to help the introvert employees at work place without trying to interfere into their personal space and need for aloneness, you can get closer and friendlier to them. You have to be helpful and willing to help with the way they are.
That can make you seem friendlier to them and they can probably like to socialize with you or open up to you. In that way you can be able to know about them and can also be able to hang out with them.
Understanding the Introvert People:
You should also try to understand the introvert people as they are also like others and they can also have problems faced by others.
They can always remain quite as usual but in reality, they can be facing some other problems and may be upset about something.
So, as a senior or boss of that person, you should try to understand their mentality before burdening with work or giving some additional work.
Conclusion:
Actually dealing with introverts is not that difficult. It just requires some additional understanding and the acceptance that they are also normal, but they do not prefer to socialize much.
They should be given the privacy and the amount of space they want and if you accept them as an employee in the way they are, they will certainly fetch good outputs and will give better performance.