WHAT’S THIS BOOK ABOUT?

In my earlier book - A Quiet Person’s Guide (to Life and Work: 2023 - I explore ways and means to get on as a quiet person, to make better progress perhaps, or to step up and make a mark.

This book is the counterpart to that guide and is designed to help leaders gain a deeper understanding of the quiet people they work with and provide strategies for getting the best from teams that have a balance of both quiet and more extroverted types.

What shifts in your thinking might you expect?

A lot of the pain that quiet people suffer is caused by pressure from others to conform to social norms – to liven up, join in, be less boring, come out of their shell. In this book I explore ways to get out of the trap of trying to get (or forcing) quiet people to mimic more extrovert behaviours. I offer an opportunity to put their quiet nature into context and reframe it as an advantage rather than a hindrance.

My hope is that this book gives you:

· Understanding. It’s OK to be a quiet soul.

· A deeper understanding of how a quiet person’s ‘being in the world’ is uniquely different. As is the extrovert’s – there is no better or worse here – it’s not a competition.

· A shift from solving ‘the problem’ of being quiet to understanding the conditions within which quiet people can thrive.

· Acceptance that individuals have the right to a deep, rich inner life: to be an ‘intronaut’, to seek out solitude and not have to explain themselves, and to be themselves – not what others think or say you should be.

· A deeper insight into the complex nature of quiet – it’s not all about extroversion and introversion.

· A whole host of ‘ninja tips’ to help you include the quieter souls on your team.

· Strategies to support quieter people to participate fully in meetings and at work.

· Suggestions for quieter team members to help them collaborate with more vocal friends and teammates so they can build confidence, be understood, accepted, and validated.

· Ways of setting boundaries to minimise the social pressure they experience.

This book is designed to explore issues around quietness in the workplace, how quieter people can contribute more fully, and the role of leaders and managers in enabling this change for the benefit of the whole organisation.

What happens if you ignore it?

·      Certain behaviours emerge or are internalised – frustration at not being able to speak up, a sense of not being valued, loss of confidence, withdrawal, at worst resulting in teasing, bullying and micro aggressions towards quieter team members.

·      Quiet people are not fully engaged, don’t thrive, lose motivation.

·      The bottom line is affected by the loss of quality thinking that gets drowned out or doesn’t surface in useful ways.

·      We may not be therapists/counsellors - but... there is a strong argument to include, listen, adapt and support. The problem becomes entrenched if it is not addressed.

·      It has implications for your ‘triple bottom line’ - financial, cultural and environmental.

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