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For many introverts, it is a difficult part of their workday: the meeting. They often find it difficult to intervene and sometimes all kinds of ideas pop up afterwards. A few tips to make it easier.
In short you can say that the meeting as we know it goes against the nature of the introvert. It's about sharing all kinds of ideas quickly and responding to them immediately. However, an introvert's brain works in such a way that it first processes information from various perspectives before speaking. The agenda item for the meeting is often over by then.
This is very different with extroverts. Talking is part of organizing thoughts for them and they don't have to analyze something thoroughly before putting it out there. Input from others helps organize those thoughts, so extroverts like it when others help them by interrupting. Something that introverts often find very annoying, because they have carefully thought about everything first.
How do you ensure that as an introvert you can have your say during a meeting? And that you don't get overlooked because of the speed and direct nature of a meeting? A few tips:
Prepare well
Good preparation is half the battle. Make sure you know in advance what the meeting is about and that you have already thought about that topic. This helps you to formulate your opinion immediately during the meeting. It can also help to tell the meeting leader beforehand that you'd like to share something. That way, the person can give you space, without you having to ask for it during the meeting.
Dare to interrupt
As I explained above, introverts often find it a bad thing to interrupt someone. It is something that would disturb them. But an extrovert usually doesn't mind being interrupted at all. In fact, it can help his thinking further. As an introvert, therefore, dare to interrupt a meeting. Do it in a way that you feel comfortable with.
Ask for reflection time
Introverts often feel that they have to share everything right during the meeting. But sometimes as an introvert you just need a little more time to think about something. So feel free to ask for reflection time during a meeting if you need it. It will allow you to come up with a much better idea at a later moment.
Meetings are one of the themes that are discussed in my training Put Your Strength Into Action. Want to learn more about how to deal with these types of introverted challenges? Please feel free to contact me.
