Q&A: What is the Mighty Introverts employee belonging group at WilsonHCG?

We recently interviewed one of the leaders of WilsonHCG's employee belonging group (EBG) The Mighty Introverts. Lely Chow discussed the origin and purpose of this EBG within the organization and offered advice to other workplaces on how to approach introverts in the workplace and their working style.

Read more below:

Q: What is the Mighty Introverts?

A: The Mighty Introverts is an Employee Belonging Group (EBG) at WilsonHCG where introverts can share their experiences, feel empowered and see that their personality is not a weakness but a strength. We promote the inclusion of introverts in the workplace.

Q: Why did you decide to get involved with this employee belonging group?

A: Introverts live in a world where being social and outspoken are valued and equated to success. We are often misunderstood as anti-social, shy, lacking in confidence, or arrogant. I wanted to raise awareness of a personality type that is often overlooked and misinterpreted because introverts tend to be quiet and less “sparkly”.

Q: What traits do introverts have?

A: Introverts often have difficulty expressing ideas in a group environment. Because introverts need time to deliberate on our thoughts, we often times miss the opportunity to speak amongst a lot of chatter from a group. For the same reason, we do not like to be put on the spot. Our preference is to have time to think and write down our ideas.

Socializing with others, eg. Going to parties, networking events, etc. drains our energy. After going to a social function, we need alone time in order to recharge.

We are good listeners, and we execute our ideas carefully and methodically.

Watch our video where EBG members explain their strengths in the workplace to celebrate World Introvert Day.

Q: What types of things does the Mighty Introverts group do? (please talk about the activities, discussions and guest speakers etc.)

A: We have discussion forums where we share our experiences as introverts. We discuss articles written about being an introvert. Last year, we created a video to educate others about who we are as introverts and how to be inclusive of introverts in the workplace. This year, we are hosting a number of speakers around the theme of leadership and being an introvert.

Q: How do you encourage participants to get involved in your discussions and activities? For instance, introverts typically like to write rather than talk, don’t they?

A: Our group meetings tend to be small (no more than 10 people), and that tends to be less intimidating for introverts. As the group leader, I allow long pauses after I ask a question to give ample time for people to think before they speak. No one takes over the discussion – we each take our turn. I encourage people to email me their ideas after the meetings.

Q: What advice do you have for people when it comes to considering all personality styles in the workplace?

A: We shouldn’t ask introverts to be more social or outspoken, as that is asking them to be something other than they are. To be inclusive, we should give ample time for introverts to speak up in a group setting, and allow them to express themselves in writing. Introverts need alone time to recharge, so workplaces should have spaces away from the crowds where introverts can retreat.

Q: What’s your top tip for someone in the workplace who is an introvert?

A: Don’t try to be who you are not. You already have strengths that you can use to be successful.

Q: Do you have anything to add that you think is important?

A: Diversity is not only about race, gender, religion, age, disability. It is also about personality.