As many as one-third to one-half of people identify as introverts.1 At work, people who lean toward introversion may work more slowly and deliberately, like to focus on one task at a time, and can have a great ability to concentrate. Meanwhile, people who identify more as extroverts tend to tackle assignments quickly and make fast decisions and have a tendency to be more comfortable with multi-tasking and risk-taking.
All of us fall somewhere on the introvert-extrovert spectrum, and it’s important to keep in mind that this is just one aspect to our personalities. We are all beautifully complex with multiple factors and experiences influencing our personalities.
But, for those of us who consider ourselves to be more introverted, public speaking can be particularly intimidating. Often, these situations – whether it’s a networking event, talking in front of a group, or presenting an update at a team meeting – can create a lot of anxiety. However, I think introverts can learn to use their strengths to become confident public speakers and effectively share their ideas at work, no matter what the situation might be.
Lean into Your Superpowers as an Introvert
I think it’s important for introverts to realize we likely have a lot of natural superpowers that can help us be more powerful when speaking with others.
A few examples are:
- Introverts prefer to think through a situation in advance and will likely come into a public speaking opportunity incredibly prepared.
- We may also have a quiet but firm speaking style, which can be particularly helpful in situations where we are arguing for a certain viewpoint or negotiating for a specific outcome.
- A hallmark of introverts is our tendency to think before speaking, which can also help in thinking through what points we would like to make in advance of the speaking opportunity.
- Introverts may also ask a lot of good questions and listen to the answers, which can be particularly helpful in brainstorming potential questions from the audience in advance and also listening deeply to what the people we are meeting with are saying back so we can adjust our talk to address their confusion or concerns.
Do these ring true for you? What other superpowers do you have that can be advantages when presenting your ideas to others?
Set Yourself Up for Success
While we lean into our strengths, we can also take several steps to set ourselves up for success in overcoming certain challenges that introverts might face when public speaking.
A few tips to consider:
- Block our calendars for a period before and after the meeting or event so you have plenty of time to prepare yourself or decompress afterward.
- Don’t be afraid to ask for your ideal circumstances when presenting an idea. For example, if your boss wants you to give a project update during the monthly staff meeting, ask if you can go first if it will help you. Or ask a person organizing an event if you can be scheduled for the time of day where you feel at your best. You never know unless you ask!
- Visualize yourself in the situation where you will be speaking with others and identify any opportunities to make it easier for yourself. For example, if you’ll be speaking to a large group virtually, are you able to adjust your view on the screen so you aren’t distracted by many faces?
- Another idea that could help is to consider showing up early. If you’ll be speaking in a room of people, it might help you to get there early and watch the room slowly fill up versus walking into a crowded space with lots of chatter. Similarly, if you are slated for later in the agenda, you might want to see if you can join from the start of the meeting or event if it will help you feel more comfortable versus joining the discussion already in progress.
Which of these would help you feel better for your next speaking opportunity? Are there other actions you can take to alleviate some of your concerns and feel better walking into your next presentation?
Learn More
If you want to go even further into this topic, we are working on a brief online course specifically for introverts with tips on public speaking. If you want to learn more about the tips and tricks shared in this article as well as others to feel confident at your next opportunity to connect with others, whether that is speaking to a group, networking, or any other connection, sign up for our email list to get an alert when the class is ready.
1Cain, Susan. Quiet: The Power of Introverts in A World That Can’t Stop Talking. Crown Publishing Group, 2013.
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