Führung: „Die Anerkennung für meine Arbeit bekommt jemand über mir“ – Das Leid der stillen Schaffer

Sophie Schütze has been working in her job for over seven years, and while she is frustrated, she expresses her grievances quietly. Her job at an administrative office involves organizing, prioritizing, scheduling appointments, handling phone calls, checking the completeness of files, and organizing missing documents. She insists on maintaining a high-quality standard and meeting deadlines, but she fears revealing her identity when speaking about her work.

She believes her talent goes unnoticed. She would rather not speak up, fearing self-doubt about whether her work is truly deserving of praise. Introverted employees, however, are often advised to speak up more and assert themselves, but Schütze is not keen on this approach. She finds it difficult to stand out in a hierarchical environment where she is invisible.

While extroverted individuals tend to dominate networking events and brainstorming sessions, introverted individuals like Schütze prefer to work quietly and go unnoticed. While many career guides advise introverts to be more vocal, the situation is not ideal as extroverted individuals are more likely to be promoted. Managers need to learn more about introverted employees to better support them.

Katja Schwalbach, a career coach, is skeptical about this approach as extroverted individuals are already favored in the business world, thereby overlooking the hard-working introverts. Schwalbach believes that the responsibility lies with managers to understand how introverts function. Introverts generate energy by introspecting and withdrawing, which allows them to concentrate better and recharge their batteries.

Meetings and conversations, however, drain their energy. Introverts often adopt strategies that may be perceived as antisocial by colleagues, such as arriving punctually to meetings to avoid small talk. This does not mean they lack social skills or team spirit, as they prefer different forms of interaction. To make introverted employees feel more comfortable, managers can start with small gestures, such as providing clear meeting agendas in advance to enable them to prepare adequately.

Furthermore, they should offer feedback and praise without expecting explicit requests, as introverts often need subtle recognition to feel appreciated.