I can officially say I survived month one of my new role!
Starting fresh can be difficult for anyone. However, as introverts, I think it’s fair to say the experience can be truly daunting as we worry over how our quiet nature will come across.
This was in the front of my mind as I had to do the dreaded tour of the office and meet 30 new faces on day one.
Fortunately, I was lucky to have been met with a range of personalities and each new colleague as welcoming as the last.
Still, I had that niggly thought in my mind that my introvert character would be mistaken for shyness.
Then came the induction meetings – key to understanding how my role would play a part in the wider organisation and hopefully leaving a good first impression on my new team members.
I attempted to put forward an extrovert exterior as I worried that my introvert and laidback approach would be mistaken for disinterest as it has done in the past.
This front however was difficult and uncomfortable to maintain as I was torn between wanting to come across well and needing to be myself.
The latter soon won out and I comfortably slipped back into my safe introvert role.
I soon realised that my colleagues were picking up on the positives of my introvert characteristics, commenting on my calm approach and engaged listening, genuinely interested in what they had to say. I had fretted over the potential drawbacks of my quiet nature and forgotten to consider the strengths it gave me.
This meant I was able to tackle my next set of meetings with comfort and confidence in myself.
A few weeks in and the strain of the frequent meetings and socialising were beginning to have an impact on my energy levels. As introverts, we enjoy being around people as much as anyone else but know that too much interaction can leave us feeling drained.
I was in need of some me time to allow myself to recharge. I decided the best approach to take was to be open about my needs with my employer as they had already demonstrated that they were a supportive and caring organisation.
The conversation was very positive with my seniors understanding that people need different environments to flourish and agreed to support me in working flexibly in terms of hours and location.
Although the occasional working from home allows me to recuperate my energy, I know that not all roles can accommodate such needs.
However, if you take away anything from my experience, I hope it’s that the best way to navigate a new role is to just be yourself, let your strengths shine through and be open and honest about your needs.
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