Introverts Navigating Office Politics



Back in 2020, Nielsen ratings demonstrated that The Office was by far the most streamed TV show on major platforms. Like most of America, I delighted and cringed through episodes of this comedy phenomenon and indulge in reruns from now and then.

This show became an obsession in our culture, and I believe the show’s popularity stems from how deeply the social dynamics and situations of Dunder Mifflin employees resonate with us. Each episode reflects a kernel of truth, often exaggerated for comedic purposes, but sometimes, the conversations are completely plausible. We laughed, cried and winced with the characters because we recognized ourselves and our co-workers in them. We experience parallel situations in our own work lives.

The show is ripe for analysis, but I am particularly interested today in how the introverts of the show navigated uncomfortable situations and office politics. We too must navigate similar circumstances, which can make life awkward or uncomfortable.

The good news is that office politics can be mitigated by establishing connections within the company. Cultivating quality relationships rooted in trust and respect can eliminate a lot of misunderstandings, conflict and nonsense that lead to unnecessary office drama.

Extroverted employees have an advantage when it comes to forging those relationships because they receive energy from interacting with other people. Introverts, on the other hand, recharge through silence and alone time. There are plenty of charismatic introverts, but constant meetings, coffee dates or water cooler conversations can drain their energy—reducing their ability to produce quality work and create professional relationships.

No need to worry, though. If you identify as an introvert, try these tips to establish those workplace relationships without ending the day drained and burned out.

1. Define your strengths.

Start with recognizing your strengths and value to the team. You may be quieter than your extroverted teammates, but you contribute just as much! One of the first self-described introverts I met in my life was a fellow student in college. During a small group seminar, he spoke three times the entire semester, but when he spoke, everyone else fell silent because his insight was so incredibly thought-provoking. The professor praised his papers, and he ended up valedictorian of our class.

In society, sometimes we default to admiring those who speak the loudest because we think that if they speak with a lot of confidence, then they must be right. That is not the case. As Stephen Hawking once said, “Quiet people have the loudest minds.” A hushed and still exterior is sometimes the façade for deep wisdom.

Ask yourself, what are my strengths? Are you good at listening and connecting the dots for others? Are you good at outside-the-box creative thinking and problem-solving? Take a deep look at your value and be proud of what you contribute.

2. Choose your allies.

Next, evaluate your colleagues and leaders and decide who might be potential allies to befriend. You do not have to be “besties” with everyone at the office but rather develop one or two strategic relationships, choosing co-workers who may be extroverted and more plugged in with the rest of the office. They may go out to weekly happy hours with other co-workers and can vouch for your value and good intentions, hopefully squashing any potential gossip or drama without you even having to be there.

Once you have chosen the people that you most would like to develop a relationship with, ask for a one-on-one coffee or lunch, avoiding large group interactions and keeping initial conversations short. Perhaps you only have 30 minutes for a coffee or 45 minutes for lunch. Those bite-size interactions should not be too draining, and you have a hard “out” when it is time to go back to work. Scout out a local coffee shop or deli ideal for quiet conversation. The company cafeteria may be too loud and public, and you may run the risk of bumping into too many other colleagues.

Another piece of advice that I give to introverted clients is to be choosy with the social events that you attend. It is better to be fully present for a few annual events than half-heartedly participate in all of them. Ask yourself questions such as: Will I have an ally or friend at this event? Will the people that I want to influence or know be in attendance? Will this event deepen my current relationships or help me influence my opinions on work projects? Know your purpose before attending an event, and that intention may help give you the energy you need to fully participate.

3. Decide how long to stay.

Lastly, decide how long you will stay before you go. Not knowing how long you will be trapped in a social interaction can deplete your energy, so knowing that you have an “out” at a certain time is helpful.

Hopefully implementing these strategies into cultivating workplace relationships diminishes the amount of office politics that you must navigate. Fundamentally, knowing your value and respecting your needs as an introvert is crucial. And if anything, you will have a newfound appreciation for the introverts at Dunder Mifflin.

A 3-Step Process to Prioritize Wisely



Burnout has been a major topic of discussion in the business world recently. It’s become a major problem for companies because good people are leaving teams in search of a more sustainable working environment. While there are plenty of factors that need to be addressed to fix widespread burnout, learning to prioritize wisely can be one way to reduce it.

Step 1: Choose Your Goals

First and foremost, create clear goals. I like writing them down and posting them next to my desk as a daily reminder of where I should focus my energy.

Include timelines—goals need to have an end point. If you have a task related to a goal whose end point is two weeks from now, that is clearly more pressing than a task for a goal that is due a year from now. Deadlines can be a great motivator, and many people work better within the structure of a timeline because it helps them understand what they should prioritize within that time limit.

When focusing on your goals, consider the 5/25 rule, often associated with billionaire businessman Warren Buffett (though he may not have actually originated it). Write down 25 goals, then consider that large list and circle only five. Those will be the goals on which you focus all your energy. Say no to everything else. This process is simple but powerful.

When going through the 5/25 exercise, you will probably be able to write down 25 goals, no problem. The hard part is eliminating 20 of them. However, that challenging work, narrowing down your focus to five specific goals, can help you with prioritizing because it allows you to say no to tasks that do not correlate with your primary aims. If you have 100 tasks on your to-do list and only 30 correlate to your five goals, then you have automatically erased 70 from your list.

Step 2: Learn To Say ‘No’

The 5/25 process leads you to the second part of prioritizing wisely: getting comfortable with the word “no.” You can make it sound nice (“No, thank you”) or offer a solution to accompany it (“Our team does not handle xyz. Why not try Accounting?”)

Regardless of how you communicate a “no,” it will help reduce your to-do list and set boundaries. Over time, other teams and departments will start to recognize which goal-oriented tasks you will take on and which ones they should assign to others.

Step 3: Delegate

Speaking of delegation, we have arrived at the third step in prioritizing wisely. As you know, there are differing difficulty levels in the tasks on your plate. Some of those can be handed off to teammates.

First, label and define the task to the person who will take it on. Make sure this person can handle the task before relinquishing control of it, and allow them to ask any questions. Provide instructions and a timeline, and explain why this task is important and what will happen if it’s not completed. Then allow that person to handle it, making a note to check in occasionally and provide them a chance to give a status update.

Through delegating tasks to your teammates, you are working toward a shared goal and freeing up valuable time for you to spend on other responsibilities.

Final Thoughts

By defining your goals and timelines, saying no and delegating tasks, you have freed up a bunch of space on your “to-do” list that will help you see your own tasks clearly and better prioritize your work. Hopefully, these small steps will help you reduce your workload and lead you one step closer to avoiding burnout.

Is Your Comfort Zone A Bit Too Comfy? Finding Growth In Discomfort



Younger professionals coming up through the ranks of the workplace must often learn the ropes of the industry, the company and their own individual tasks. Every role they take on is new and presents them with challenges and opportunities for growth. The learning curve is steep and exciting.

As more established professionals, we have already put in the time to find our strengths and lean into them. Often when we find our main skill set, that discovery is what helps us rise to leadership positions.

However, while utilizing our strengths is one of the keys to solid leadership, we must also be very intentional about continuing our growth. Leaders with only one set of skills are only useful for a certain period of time, but then the company or economy shifts and that skill may no longer be what is needed.

An article from McKinsey discusses the year 2000 as a major example of how leaders needed to shift their skill sets and focus. “When the dot-com stock bubble burst, the leaders of those online companies, who had been nurturing fast growth for years, suddenly found themselves managing for profitability. Instead of spending whatever it might take to grow, they had to pivot and find ways to save money by laying people off, canceling projects, and eliminating waste. Those are two entirely different sets of muscles, and a leader has to be versatile enough to make the switch.”

Imagine yourself in a circle—your very own comfort zone. There you are warm, safe and cozy. However, if that circle is small, you cannot move around a whole lot. You may be stuck standing in one spot for quite a while, but if you take a small step outside of your comfort zone and try something new, that circle expands and adjusts to fit your growth, and your safe and cozy spot gets a bit bigger. However, if you take too big a step outside of that circle, the circle cannot adjust in time, and you lose your footing and fall to disastrous results.

Many of the CEOs in the 2000 stock bubble burst could not recover. Their comfort zone was too small, and learning so many new skills all at once was too much for them. For that reason, I encourage leaders to grow their strengths and experience levels outside of a crisis. That way, when challenging times arrive, they are in a better position to adjust and navigate the situation.

Taking those small steps outside of the safe circle looks slightly different for every leader. Perhaps it is taking a course on a subject matter they are not familiar with or touring company facilities and venues. It may be offering to give a presentation or lead an internal town hall. It could also be asking a colleague to take you on a “day in the life” of a different position or department. Maybe it is taking on a business coach. There are many ways to grow in knowledge, and hands-on experiences and tasks outside your main skill set can be invaluable in the future.

That said, leaders do not have to do everything themselves. On the contrary, a team of talented and seasoned collaborators is an asset to any leader. Surround yourself with these people and learn from them.

Let’s say you do not have any experience with public speaking or presentations. Seek out someone you admire with that skill and ask them to show you the ropes. Volunteer to do a presentation with them or ask them to do it yourself but with their coaching. It can sometimes be hard to ask for help because it is a way of admitting a weakness, but often, others will be flattered that you asked for their assistance and are more than willing to guide you. By surrounding yourself with people possessing differing skill sets, you can not only grow yourself but also build an expert team available to help you in a crisis.

Have you ever heard the yogi mantra, “Get comfortable with being uncomfortable”? While leaders should lean into their strengths, there is also much to be said about working toward building muscles in weaker areas. Sometimes a feeling of discomfort is a sign of growth. Are you feeling too comfy right now? What can you do today to go outside of your comfort zone and get growing?

Using Data To Make The Case For Learning And Development



Are you a leader invested in the professional development of your team? (Good. Keep reading.)

Unfortunately, convincing the budget-makers to allot money toward upskilling can be challenging. But you can use data as a powerful tool to support your case.

Money Talks

And one of the key points it can make is that learning and development (L&D) is an investment. As a recent Chief article by Heather Sundell eloquently puts it: “There are plenty of reasons why [upskilling] is beneficial for the bottom line. … First, it’s cost effective since it enables employers to enhance their workforce without increasing headcount. Hiring isn’t just expensive; it’s also time intensive. The average time to fill a position is 36 days, if not longer. Focusing on internal talent helps hiring managers avoid the lengthy interview process.”

And a willingness to invest in upskilling doesn’t only affect hiring, but also employee engagement. Sundell goes on to explain that “28.3% of workers who left jobs voluntarily resigned because they saw few opportunities for growth or advancement.” The statistics indicate that a sense of staleness and lack of growth can be a strong motivator for employees to leave. Essentially, investing in upskilling can save money and retain employees.

Where To Begin

Congratulations. You have successfully made your case for using a portion of the budget for learning and development, and you have been granted permission to invest in training employees. Where do you begin?

There are several ways to get started. I suggest first conducting a needs analysis of the current skills and knowledge within your team. Ask yourself:

  • What are the basic skills and knowledge necessary for similar roles in the industry?
  • Does everyone on your team possess those skills?
  • Have you noticed any pain points within your team when it comes to certain projects that could indicate a knowledge gap?

Also, poll your team and ask what they feel is lacking in their own training that could be helpful for their day-to-day tasks. Remind them that this is not a criticism of their work, but rather an interest in identifying their weak points to help them grow.

The Continuing Importance Of Data

Once you choose the appropriate learning programs designed to augment your team’s knowledge and skill sets, data will continue to play a vital role in tracking success metrics and making the case for continued training.

Before the development sessions begin, note down the baseline so that you have “before” and “after” metrics of each employee’s knowledge and skill level for the tasks they are training in. Keep tabs throughout the process to measure their improvement and retention. Try to make these data points as quantifiable as possible.

The metrics you use should be based on your specific goals for the learning your employees are undergoing. What are your objectives for the individual and the team?

For example, let’s say a senior marketing manager is tasked with driving more online engagement for the company. She decides to invest in employee training to help the team create higher-quality content that would achieve that desired engagement. Her success metrics should match these specific goals, so she might create the following “before” and “after” categories to help track her employees’ progress:

  • Types of content created.
  • Time needed to create each piece of content.
  • Online interactions (clicks/comments/shares).
  • Traffic driven to website.

As you can see, her metrics are very much in line with her specific company goals for online interaction and engagement.

Conclusion

As leaders, we should use every tool available to invest in our employees for a more engaging and productive workplace, and data is critical throughout every step of the L&D process.

Navigating Social Events Outside Of Work



Leaders recognize that positive social interactions are a critical factor in creating cohesive and productive teams, so many companies are delegating internal social committees that plan quarterly events to bring co-workers together in an informal way. These events are often obligatory to attend during the workday, and employees benefit from a break from the routine and a casual way to mix and mingle. These events also provide a chance for people to get to know each other on a more personal level, which can then transfer into their professional working relationships.

I have seen positive outcomes from these business-led get-togethers. However, navigating social events outside of working hours is trickier. While there are benefits for co-workers to socialize and get to know one another outside of a work environment, they can also take away from an individual’s work-life balance.

Employees in a company have a wide range of personalities, values and stages of life. While some people do not mind engaging with co-workers outside of office hours, others would prefer to stay home. They may have a family or a long commute that prohibits their schedule and blocks flexibility.

For example, one of my clients—let’s call him Michael—consistently declines golf invitations from his colleagues. He is happily married with four children and chooses to spend his weekends at home with family, spending Saturdays at baseball tournaments, impromptu ice cream trips, picnics with old friends or time in the backyard. He strives to spend quality time with his family, which makes him happy. His commitment to a healthy work-life balance is admirable.

However, he recently found out that one of his single colleagues was chosen for a promotion over him. Coincidentally, this co-worker accepted the Saturday golf invitations, and so my client feels that his colleague had an unfair social advantage and therefore received the promotion.

This situation is tricky. No one should be “punished” for choosing to spend their off-work hours at home, but it is also true that sometimes work opportunities happen at social events outside of the office. Choosing not to participate in social events with colleagues or bosses can potentially be detrimental to your growth potential at work.

So what is the solution? Creative brainstorming.

First, Michael sat down and gave serious thought to what he envisioned his work-life balance would be. He talked it over with his wife, and together they decided that weekends would continue to be time spent with family, but he could make time on weeknights for dinners or drinks with colleagues two to three times a month.

Instead of simply declining weekend invitations, he made counteroffers to the people from whom those invitations came. If he was invited to a barbecue on the weekend, he suggested a coffee or dinner during the week instead. This way he showed that he had an interest in getting to know that person while still holding boundaries for his weekend time. He would still get a social moment without taking time away from his family.

Over time, he reported that his colleagues accepted his alternative offers to meet up and respected his boundaries. He no longer feels out of the loop when others meet on Saturdays, and he is optimistic about his growth potential within the company.

Managing social obligations and events outside of work can be challenging because we know that maintaining a healthy work-life balance is nonnegotiable. However, fostering positive relationships with our co-workers is essential for productivity and morale in the place where we spend most of our day. These social relationships can not only affect our daily work environment but also our potential for growth. Knowing how to hold boundaries while also creatively brainstorming like Michael can help you navigate those social work invitations when they come your way.