From less social interaction to more opportunities for autonomy, if you’re an introvert, chances are you’ve enjoyed working remotely over the past year plus. On the other hand, if you’re an extrovert, you may have found yourself less productive and more irritable at home, struggling to recreate the external stimuli you had in the office to motivate you. So what happens in a hybrid model? With many introverts opting to work remotely and extroverts more likely to want to go back to the office, how do you ensure your entire team remains engaged, productive, and happy?
Managing Introverts and Extroverts in the Hybrid Workplace
As the manager, it’s your job to support your team through the transition to hybrid. But what people need largely depends on their personality. The author offers advice for how best to support introverts and extroverts during this time. The first piece of advice? Give introverts time and space. If some of your employees are now in the office and some are at home, it’s especially important to ensure that the introverts on your team aren’t overshadowed, especially in team meetings. The second: Give extroverts airtime. If you find that your extroverts are struggling to feel connected, set up a regular face-to-face or video meeting with them so that they can talk things through with you directly. And finally: encourage a range of communication styles so that everyone can engage authentically.