Survival Tips for the Introverted Manager

Guidelines for Peak Performance in Your Supervisory Role

For introverted people, the workplace is often mentally draining. Many jobs require extensive interaction with co-workers and clients.

Many people assume that introverts have poor social skills or dislike dealing with people. This is often far from the case. Many introverted types are very good at human interaction, make excellent listeners, have strong if subtle public relations skills and if given enough time for planning and preparation are excellent communicators. Introverts with these skill sets may find themselves in work roles that involve management and supervision of others.

Unlike their more extraverted management counterparts, introverted managers may find the added layer of human interaction that supervisory responsibilities add to their jobs is mentally and emotionally draining. A true extravert finds his energy is charged and refueled by public speaking, meetings, and one-on-one encounters with others. An extraverted manager may make his best decisions and do his best planning in the course of group activity, and will actually find large periods of solitude to be a drain on his mental resources. For the introverted manager, the opposite is true. She needs time for quiet reflection and thinking in order to be at peak performance and do her best work.

Since by its very nature supervision is an interactive activity, it might seem that this places an introverted manager at a disadvantage. But by understanding her nature and learning to create a work and personal environment that allows her to perform at her peak, an introverted manager can be highly successful.

Below are five tips to help introverted managers not only succeed, but thrive, in their workplaces and job roles.

Be accessible, but not always available

The best managers are those who accessible. Employees need to feel that communication with their supervisor is a two-way street, and that their boss is readily available to hear ideas, discuss issues, approve action plans, or give input into solving problems.