"Speak Up"

How to be more visible at work, as an introvert

"He needs to speak up a little bit more"..

I have had this feedback follow me around my whole life in one form or another. At school, sat between my parents being told that I have great potential if only I was louder in class. At my first jobs, being told that I have great ideas but need to share them more.

As a self-proclaimed ‘quiet person’, this feedback is often not the most helpful. It comes from a good place, but often misses the mark. I imagine my fellow quiet people will resonate.

For a long time I thought it was an attack on my personality. I had always felt very aware and self-conscious that I was a shy person, and my understanding was to be successful I had to be less of my authentic self. It pressed hard on an area of insecurity that I had held with me for a long time, therefore it was hard to see it as anything other than a character flaw.

It's only when I started working as a people manager, and coaching people through the same situation that I found that is not the case.

I have worked with many engineers who would consider themselves introverted. Engineers who are passionate and brilliant at what they do, yet often fly under the radar or don't get the recognition they deserve because they are too quiet. They get the same feedback from managers or peers who find it easy or natural to share their thoughts out in the open whether it be on a call, in a group setting or on Slack.

"I wish they would speak up more".

The feedback is not pushing people to change who they are, as I originally considered. It's not even about becoming outspoken or louder in a group setting. In its simplest form it means "I want to hear more of this persons opinions". It should be seen as a vote in confidence, that you are trusted enough that people want to hear your perspective on a topic.

Reframing from "how do I become a louder person?" to "how do I get my ideas out in the open more?" is a much easier problem to solve, because it doesn't challenge peoples innate personalities.

So, this is what this article is about. It's not about how to become less introverted or quiet. It's some practical ways that I have found to "speak up" without changing who I am as a person, that has worked for both me and the engineers I have coached.

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Lean into writing

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A big realisation for me was I was able to articulate myself much clearer in writing than the spoken word. Being able to process what I am thinking, write it out, read it back to myself - it is much more of a natural and comfortable way of communicating.

Many (not all) quiet people find the same - and a good way of "speaking up" is to become more vocal with your written voice. Maybe that is sharing thoughts in Slack more than you would. Asking a question in a call via message rather than raising your hand. Sending a DM to someone who you wouldn't usually speak to.

It's a great first step to feeling more comfortable sharing your opinions, as you don't have the anxiety or discomfort (at least for me) that comes with talking out lound.

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Prep thoughts prior to a call

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Being conscious and thinking ahead prior to calls has been a great way for me to ensure that I have sufficient time to process and formulate anything that I want to say and bring to the table.

As an example - in our leadership meetings at Zerion, the agenda will always be contributed at the very least a few hours before the call. This lets me ponder the topics that others have contributed and formulate opinions/ideas, but also allows me to construct my own topics.

Not all meetings have preset agendas (even though a good practice to get into), but I would encourage anyone to proactively ask for the organiser to share an agenda so you can prep thoughts before the meeting starts if this is something you believe would benefit you.

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Take notes

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Perhaps the biggest breakthrough for me has been the act of taking meeting notes. My process has changed over the years quite drastically (I will share more on this if of interest) and what started off as jotting things down on pen and paper, has become automated by AI. The format doesn't matter, but the practice does.

I find that I can think easiest when I am writing. When I am transcribing, I have clarity that just doesn't come to me when I am sat listening. Active listening is an critical skill that can be learned and developed, and taking notes drastically helped me sharpen this skillset.

At the end of any call, you are left with a set of notes that can then be revised and digested. These meeting notes are where most of my thinking happens.

The proactivity of sharing transcripts with the members of the call is an added benefit to taking notes. It helps everyone, not just you personally.

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Don't be afraid to share your ideas after a call

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As most of my thinking happens in my notes, often many of my ideas will come to fruition after the meeting/call happens. Sharing thoughts afterwards is still very much considered "speaking up", and although simple, many people just overlook this as being a viable option.

"Folks, I have been thinking about what was discussed on the call, and I wanted to share my thoughts..." is something that I type out very regularly.

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Speaking up as an introvert might seem intimidating, but it doesn't have to be. If you are finding yourself being given similar feedback, and are unsure about how to address it, I encourage you to give the ideas above a go and see how it goes! It has helped me certainly (and continues to help me), and has worked well for many of the engineers I have managed over the years.

Remember, your introversion is a strength unique to yourself - please don't change it.

You’ve got this, friends.

— The Quiet Engineer