Q&A: Introvert prefers to stay in comfort zone at work

October 31, 2012

Q&A: Introvert prefers to stay in comfort zone at work

1 Comment |
E-mail |
Print
- Share:

By Joyce E.A. Russell / Special to The Washington Post

Q: I just started a new job with a great company. There are only a handful of us in my role, and I’m among the more experienced in this newly emerging discipline. There is considerable opportunity to help educate co-workers about our discipline and to be a strong, vocal advocate for integrating it into all the work we do.

This sounds wonderful in the abstract. However, I’m not a leader or a risk-taker; I’m an introvert, and I’m not usually the one speaking up and taking charge of things. In fact, I’d be perfectly content to be very good at my job, go home at a reasonable hour and not add more to my stress levels. I’m certainly no slacker, but I’m not what you’d call ambitious or driven, either.

Should I suck it up and try to “fake it ‘til I make it” as a leader? Or is it perfectly acceptable for me to stay more in my comfort zone and not worry about taking on more responsibilities?

A: You certainly do not have to become a person you don’t want to be. What is important is to have a frank discussion with your boss about what matters to you. Maybe your boss sees some potential in you that you are not aware of and wants to open up some new opportunities for you.

There also are lots of ways in which people exhibit leadership (as mentors, coaches, advisers, facilitators, etc.). It is important for people to recognize their own strengths, and there are plenty of tools and books for doing this.

Joyce E.A. Russell is an industrial and organizational psychologist.

1 Comment |
E-mail |
Print
- Share:

1 Comments

Barnaby Sonnenschein on November 1, 2012 12:49 PM | Reply

One of the things you can do is to be a "behind the scenes" contributor. People who have a lot of knowledge and ideas to offer but who tend to be quiet, tend to say the kinds of things people listen to when they do speak. I don't know if you're old enough to remember the E.F. Hutton commercials - "When E.F. Hutton talks, people listen". Substitute E.F. with your name :-) You build a reputation among your peers as a subject matter expert, and you build respect and reverence. Even when it's difficult, I do think it is important to contribute and to share some of your ideas and provide input. Sometimes in meetings, it's really challenging to speak up because we don't want to draw attention to ourselves. Try to speak up if you can, but if you really can't bring yourself to do it ,you can still share your ideas outside of a group format.

Q&A: Introvert prefers to stay in comfort zone at work

1 Comments

Leave a comment