16 Strategies To Being An Effective Introverted Worker (2 of 4)

Putting Up with Happy Hour Occasionally

Much like office parties and events, attending happy hour now and then can be incredibly beneficial for you. As much as we appreciate our alone time, not being as involved in events can backfire, as coworkers will start to feel like they don’t know us as well. Follow the same principles as attending office events – show up early, enjoy a drink (or two), make your rounds, and leave to go home for dinner.

Using Your Headphones

Just because you’re in a place where collaboration is expected of you, you’re also introverted and need some space at times. On top of that, for many introverts, general office chatter can really get in the way of their work. So don’t be afraid to pop in the headphones during the day when you really want to work. Also, don’t feel bad about it. According to a study conducted by CloudCover Music, almost one out of two people put headphones on when they want to avoid the chatter around the workplace.

Putting Coworkers at Ease

If you’re introverted, you don’t need to make a big announcement about it. Being introverted is not like a special classification or a title or anything like that, however, there is nothing stopping you from leaving behind clues. These clues are important because they allow others to bond with you and understand you more. One example of a clue is you can turn your fact into a joke at your own expense. You can joke about never going to be the first person to participate in karaoke.

Getting Advance Notices

In cases of meetings, it can be tough and stressful when you’re placed on the spot and you have to speak up. To avoid those situations, make sure to start asking coworkers and managers and getting advance notices. The idea with this information gathering is to get an idea of what sort of input this meeting is expecting you to do. With that, you’ll be able to practice in advance on what you want to say and how you want to say it.