Introverts Are You Dreading Going Back to Work?
Are You Ready to Go Back to Work?
In a recent Washington Post article John Hackston, head of thought leadership at the Myers-Briggs Company stated, “Introverts are dreading return to work”.
Of course many of us will be happy to reconnect with colleagues and friends who we haven’t seen for over a year. Despite this we still may have some anxiety around returning to the workplace we left more than a year ago. The pandemic has changed many things including our places of work. This is not a bad thing as now, more than any other time in history, employers are willing to consider accommodating the needs of workers.
Take Control of Your Destiny!
In my previous blog post I wrote, “Taking charge will mean deciding what works for you and then being ready and willing to negotiate with your employer.”
If you are alarmed at the thought of negotiating a return to work on your terms, don’t be.
Negotiation expert and author of Say Less, Get More: Unconvential Negotiation Techniques, Fontini Iconomopoulos, argues that the key to effective negotiation is the ability to listen, really listen, to what the other person has to say.
And listening is something that introverts do well! Listening helps us see things from the other person’s perspective helping us to understand where they are coming from. This is the key to successful negotiations.
Negotiating Tips from an Expert
Listening to our boss is the first step. In addition we will want to consider the following tips provided by Iconomopoulos during a CBC radio interview this week:
- Clarify your personal values
- Demonstrate the benefits of what you are proposing (make it difficult for your boss to say no)
- Prepare for the discussion by practicing in front of a mirror or with a friend
- Create and anchor and have your anchor ready
Iconomopoulos uses the anchor as a metaphor. When you are in a boat and you don’t want to drift you can drop your anchor to secure your position in the water. In the same way your anchor will help you focus on your bottom line during negotiations. Your anchor will most certainly include your values or what’s important to you.
Knowing your values will help you set personal boundaries so you can say no to requests that create a conflict. Requests such as returning to work as it was prior to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Introverts Make Great Negotiators
How do introverts measure up as negotiators? According to author Karen Burns, in a Seattle Times article, introverts make some of the best negotiators because…
- We listen
- We are comfortable with silence
- We do our research and are prepared
To successfully negotiate you will also need to “find your voice” and speak up. The best advice I can give you is to join Toastmasters The aim of this non-profit educational organization is to help members to learn how to communicate. 350,000 + people in 143 countries around the world can’t be wrong. The program works!
Just remember, negotiation is not about getting everything you want. It’s about finding a mutually beneficial solution for both parties. a solution that you can both live with!