FoRging Relationships
I can be a complete introvert and I really dislike speaking just for the sake of it. However, in the corporate world, extroverted personalities are highly praised and even preferred. Corporate culture encourages us to be the first to speak in a meeting, say the most without really saying anything at all, and teaches us that assertive behavior equates to confidence.
For us introverts, it can be a professional misstep to not leverage your innate skills. Introverted or not, here are a couple of tips to tap into your internal network meaningfully without selling out:
For us introverts, it can be a professional misstep to not leverage your innate skills. Introverted or not, here are a couple of tips to tap into your internal network meaningfully without selling out:
- Be genuine in your small talk. Introverts are terrible at faking their true emotions so try to be as genuine as possible in your encounters so you'll appear confident in who you are. Comment on a snippet of the conversation as to how it relates to your own life, or even simply laughing when you find something funny could make you seem more approachable.
- Join a committee at work whose mission is something you're passionate about. You'll find it's much easier to engage in conversation because you truly enjoy the topic. I recently joined the Women's Initiative Network at my job and it's effortless to find common ground with like-minded women or people in general who are working towards a common goal. If this is too much people time for you, joining a subcommittee could allow for an even smaller and more digestible group experience.
- Invite a colleague out for coffee. Introverts do better one on one and this personal face time will allow you to get to know someone on a deeper level. I have made some of my best work friends by running out for coffee which eventually became a daily tradition.