Though your introverts are among your quieter employees, this doesn’t mean they have nothing to offer during meetings. Extroverts find it much easier to speak up and share, and you may find them dominating your meetings—leaving your introverted employees with untapped potential.
Five Ways to Help Introverts Participate During Meetings
You can make the most of group time with your staff by taking steps to draw your introverts out of their shells. Just follow these tips from one of the leading staffing agencies in Lebanon, TN—Wood Personnel:
Circulate the Meeting Agenda Ahead of Time
Introverts aren’t always good thinking on their feet. Instead, they prefer time to carefully consider and plan what they wish to share. By circulating meeting topics beforehand, you’ll help your introverts arrive prepared.
Encourage Small Talk at the Beginning of the Meeting
In other words, don’t launch right into it. Chat with your employees about easy topics—what they did over the weekend, the final score of last night’s sports game, a new movie that’s getting good reviews, etc. When introverts have been warmed up by talking, they’ll feel more comfortable participating in a team discussion.
Hold Conference Calls
While introverts may clam up in person, a meeting by phone offers them a chance to feel more confident speaking up. In this way, they can practice their meeting skills, which can help them feel more confident about in-person meetings.
Brainstorm
Though they may be reluctant to share an extensive idea with a large group, a brainstorming session—using a whiteboard or large note pad—gives your introverts a chance to think alongside other employees. Sharing short snippets of information and ideas can be much easier.
Don’t Put Anyone on the Spot
Nothing strikes fear into the heart of an introvert quite like the possibility of being put on the spot. Allow your employees to volunteer their thoughts on their own terms, rather than calling people out during a meeting.
Participation is a Learned Skill
The more your introverted employees are involved in meetings, the more comfortable they will be participating. Plan to hold team meetings on a regular basis, which is good practice for all employees to build teamwork skills.
Need to Staff Up this Fall?
Contact Wood Personnel Services. We’ll work with you to understand your staffing needs and find employees to fit.