More and more studies and nonfiction books relate how companies have come to value introverted personalities at the office. Introverts may be just as passionate, caring and intelligent as extroverts. This type of person becomes excited about different aspects of life as compared to an extrovert.
Introverts at work may enjoy doing tasks behind the scenes such as crunching numbers, fixing machinery or copying papers. However, that does not mean introverted personalities like being alone. These personalities do find stimulation from other people, just not on a constant basis. Extroverts generally have large social networks, many friends and love being part of a group. Introverts also love connecting with others, but not as obviously as extroverts. The trick becomes discovering creative ways for you to network with others when you may not feel sociable 100 percent of the time.
Locate your community when you examine what drives you as an intellectual person. If you like knitting, find a group of knitters with whom to spend time. If you enjoy model rocketry, connect with a group of enthusiasts who get together to build their cardboard creations every other Saturday. Introverts at work can discover similar people in similar jobs with whom to talk. If you really love the latest cloud computing platform release from a major company, seek out someone on your floor or on LinkedIn and make a connection. Work up to meeting your colleague for lunch later in the week as a way for introverted personalities to take the next leap to serious networking.
Do not be afraid to set your limits, and start slowly if you feel reluctant. Introverted personalities may be open to new experiences but not show as much outward enthusiasm as extroverts do. Reluctance among introspective people is completely natural. Try something at least once. You can always back out of the next event if you really do not feel like being a part of a certain community. Do not perceive reticence as failure. Instead, see this as a learning experience to try something different the next time you reach out to another network.
Embrace your introverted brain and realize you are perfectly normal. Introverted personalities may yearn for acceptance just as much as extroverts. When you discover that people who seek inward stimulation are regular human beings, it may liberate your mind as you try new networking tactics.
At large gatherings, go for short introductions with many people first and reconnect with those you find most interesting later. You do not have to fixate on the first two people you meet and stick next to them no matter what. Work the room, remember who you discovered to be intellectually stimulating, and return to those people later for more in-depth conversations.
Introverted personalities are valuable members of the team. As such, people who derive happiness from more inward pursuits can connect with like-minded individuals with targeted efforts. Eventually, you may find your social group growing faster with each new step.
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