How introverts can gain visibility at work
A guide to navigate the work environment and make an impression using strategies and tactics that have worked for introverts employed in a wide range of companies
Nazia Noshin is currently a junior researcher at a leading non-profit organisation in the country.
When Nazia started, there were seven more junior researchers in her team under the same supervisor. Initially, she struggled. Her interaction with her supervisor remained limited, primarily due to her life-long introverted and shy disposition.
Consequently, making a statement at work seemed out of Nazia's reach. But she found an interesting way to visibility.
"I decided to be the first one to arrive at work every day and made it a consistent habit. For months, I would show up at least 15 minutes before our official start time. Gradually, my boss and colleagues began to notice. Eventually, my boss called me to his office and appreciated me for my dedication. That was the first time we had a proper conversation together," said Nazia.
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Reflecting on her experience, Nazia recommends this approach to fellow introverts. While staying late may be common practice, she finds the habit of arriving early to be more conducive to a healthy work-life balance.
I noticed that one employee consistently sends a weekly report always on time. Intrigued, I reached out to him during one of our team meetings and discovered that he is extremely introverted and struggles with conversations. Despite this, his dedication left a lasting impression on me, and during the yearly evaluation, I rated him highly.
Introverts are often typecast as shy or indifferent and are perceived to be unfit for leadership positions, but this is not true. Many introverts value depth and meaning in their work over noise and showmanship. Perhaps that is why they avoid the limelight.
Whether one chooses to admit or not, a certain degree of visibility and exposure is always needed to move forward in your career. Making yourself visible at work ensures that your contributions, skills and achievements are acknowledged and valued by your colleagues and supervisors.
Instead of bragging or showboating, increasing visibility requires strategically sharing updates, information and success in a manner that is beneficial and pertinent to others, and consistently aligning your progress with the broader objectives of your organisation.
Be great at what you do
Undoubtedly, the best way to gain visibility at workplaces is to be the best at your work and to be sincere with your deadlines and deliverables. In the long run, this particular trait is bound to give you the exposure you deserve; and the majority of the HRs and supervisors, based on several published articles, have agreed on this.
"We operate on a hybrid office model so I don't get to interact with most of our employees in person. As an immigration consultancy centre, we have multiple departments handling various visa processes. To keep track of progress, I receive weekly work reports from each department every Sunday morning sent by a designated team member.
It's not a demanding task, and any team member can handle it. However, I noticed that one employee consistently sends the report at exactly 10 am every Sunday," said Farzana Ahmed (pseudonym), HR official at an immigration consultancy centre.
She added, "Intrigued, I reached out to him during one of our team meetings and discovered that he is extremely introverted and struggles with conversations. Despite this, his dedication left a lasting impression on me, and during the yearly evaluation, I rated him highly."
Show up through other extroverts
Consider those individuals with whom you share a mutual relationship. You advocate for each other, creating a network of support. By forming connections with a select group of people who keep you in mind as they interact with others, you become more visible through association.
"Instead of working to make sure 1,000 people know you, find 10 who would be interested in what you do. Each of those 10 people would know more than 10 people, and a good word about you will reach them.
[In addition], they act as referral and resource partners [support], and visibility happens organically and on a personal level," said Numera Ibtesum, digital marketing executive at an e-commerce company.
Numera is very reserved and introverted. She is close friends with one of her colleagues Abonti Mushtarini who is extroverted and outspoken. In different circumstances, Abonti advocates for Numera.
At the same time, Numera is great at copywriting. Occasionally, she helps Abonti in preparing her copies. "I believe introverts should seek companionship with those who complement their energy level. My synergy with Abonti has been incredibly productive," added Numera.
Make a statement with your fashion game
Fashion is a powerful mode of gaining visibility. Whether you choose to admit it or not, you are constantly being evaluated and re-evaluated by everyone around you. The attire you choose for the workplace communicates a multitude of messages regarding your perception of the environment, the level of esteem you hold for your work and personal standards, your affiliations with specific groups, and your perceived sense of belonging.
"I work at a biotech startup where we do not have any hard and fast dress code. Everyone more or less dresses casually. But, from my personal preferences, I always stuck to the formal dress code, always freshly pressed tucked-in shirts, formal pants and closed shoes.
This has given me many added advantages. Even though I am very shy, I have gotten the chance to be included in many important meetings with our investors, which shaped my career," said Zaber Abdullah, senior account manager at a local startup.
Utilise asynchronous communication methods to your advantage
Unlike real-time conversations that require immediate responses, asynchronous communication allows for a more thoughtful exchange, making it ideal for introverts. It essentially means any type of communication where two people aren't expected to be present and available to immediately respond – it's a relationship built on ease. This gives you the chance to organise your thoughts and express your ideas without feeling rushed to respond in the moment.
Rehnuma Nuraian works for an education consultancy centre. In her opinion, she is not the best with phone calls and mostly prefers communication via text.
"Hence, whenever a client calls us and asks for certain information that needs some thought to answer, I always recommend them to email me. This gives me adequate time to gather my thoughts and prepare the answers.
It has proven to be very efficient for my workplace too, as email conversations are easy to bookkeep. We prepared a big database of FAQs from it," she said.
Prepare what you have to say
Shadman Kabir is a graphic designer. He used to find it hard to speak up in team meetings. Instead of trying to change who he was, Kabir started writing down his ideas before meetings.
"Initially I used to write and practice in the mirror, and then shared my ideas with a small group from my team before pitching it in the meeting. This helped me a lot. I gained much confidence from this and now I can pitch randomly. However, I still practice writing before pitching; I hardly miss any single point," he added.
