How Do Introverts Manage Change?
How Do Introverts Manage Change?
“What’s preventing you from making change?” was the title of a recent article in the Kelowna Daily Courier. The author, Linda Edgecombe, identified 3 reasons why people don’t succeed at making the changes they want:
- Fear
- Time
- “I have to think. I need to plan before I make any changes!”
Number 3 was the one I identified with most. How about you? If so, perhaps you are an introvert too?
Personal change can be difficult but what about organizational change? Maybe you’ve been told that the plant that you work in is being closed or the company you work for is going out of business. Or perhaps your experience is more like that of a group of scientists in the UK who are all being centralized onto one large research campus –a massive move involving a great many changes both personal and organizational.
How do introverts fare with organizational change? In my experience we are likely the ones digging in our heels. Asking endless questions and over analyzing everything. But, organizations would do well to listen to us because we often make better decisions because we “think things through”. Here’s what author Susan Cain has to say,
“Introverts think before they start, digest information thoroughly, stay on task longer, give up less easily, and work more accurately.”
The downside for introverts is that we are not likely to embrace change and we certainly aren’t as spontaneous as extroverts tend to be.
And at some point we need to let go, get out of our heads and move forward.
Here are some suggestions from change guru, William Bridges:
Lots of us can feel isolated during changes at work. This can be a challenge for introverts who may not socialize with colleagues at the best of times. Depending on your comfort level you may need to push yourself to connect with others both inside and outside of work.
If you are in a leadership position you will need to communicate frequently and provide updates before, during and after the changes have occurred. As an introvert you may need to push yourself to interact with people who are relying on you for information.
When I worked in health care during a time of hospital closures and non-stop organizational change we used “transition teams” to coordinate the work. These teams included representatives from the departments that were being affected plus a number of support staff.
If you are planning a change in your organization and considering utilizing a transition team, I recommend that you look for a balance of personality types to ensure that the best decisions were being made and the organization can move forward when the time is right.
Better yet, if you are planning a change in your organization make sure to consider the needs of everyone and consider how each personality type can play a part in making the change a success!