While I am sitting here at home instead of at work, sick and feeling miserable but not able to sleep, I decided to check out an article I stumbled upon titled, How Shy Girls Can Win at Work. While I think this article has potential and raises some good points, I’m not quite sure the author went about it the best way.
To begin with, putting girls on the spot isn’t exactly boosting the powerful woman worker image. I understand where this author is coming from, though, in targeting on specific audience. Sometimes, advice is meant only for one group, but I think it could have been written just a tad bit different so that image isn’t fostered- the shy, quiet mail room girl that never voices her opinions or goes for the workplace gold. Instead, a different title could have remedied this. Putting a more positive spin on the title, such as Workplace Success Tips for the Introvert, and definitely nixing the word “girl” when referring to “women” is a good idea. Women stop being girls a long time before holding a professional job where they’d need to even consider being seen by a boss.
I also think including more points in how to succeed as an introvert would be a good idea. I think it’s great advice to speak in numbers, sometimes (without over-killing it), ask for advice, and maybe change your attire a little bit to garnish more attention. But those are only three points. Asking for advice can place you on iffy ground if you do it too often, too, since managers and bosses like people who are go-getters and self-starters. Managers don’t always have time to give advice, and they may see too much of it as them holding your hand or doing the work for you. Accessories can only take a person so far, too. They may catch the eye of someone, but if you don’t back that up with words, it’s kind of pointless.
More ways to pull yourself out of the back of the cubicle, men and women alike, is by engaging more. Plain and simple.
- Communicate more with your boss and those around you. You don’t need to carry on a thirty minute conversation, but asking how the weekend was for the person nearest you or updating your boss on your work every once in awhile without being asked for it, starts bringing attention your way, little by little. The idea is to get yourself noticed more, but this doesn’t mean you have to socially shock yourself.
- Participate in company outings, if your workplace has those. If everyone goes out for lunch once a week, ask if you can join, or head to that Christmas party your boss is throwing. Don’t be a total wallflower, either. You don’t need to be the chatter box of the group, but simply asking your coworkers about something, anything, helps you break out of your shell.
- Volunteer for a more social role in a project. If it’s a job requirement to take more initiative or interact with more people while working on a project, you’re going to have to engage in order to complete your work. Taking the initiative also gets you noticed more as a go-getter.
- If you’re just not ready to take that leap and place your social skills in the eyes and ears of others, interact with them and the company, if possible, through online means. Nearly every company has some sort of a blog or social media presence. If you can, post a new article on the company blog or comment on something you found interesting on the company’s Facebook page.
In this day and age, if you want to succeed, you need to make yourself known. Do this any way that you can that places you in a positive light. Remember, you don’t need to jump right into the deep end if you’re not comfortable enough. Slowly wading into the social pool will get you there eventually, and who knows, maybe you’ll recognize that you have some strengths you never knew you had.
Live & Learn 
