I hear that many people would rather quit their jobs than work for a quiet manager. Surprising? Not really, when you consider the uncertainty that quiet management can trigger. But those who understand the quiet personality can help these managers adopt more effective approaches.
Quiet managers can learn how to navigate the emotional and unpredictable nature of human behavior. Fears of conflict, loss of control, failure and other insecurities can be effectively managed and conquered.
Quiet managers are capable of learning that relationships needn’t lead to vulnerability, exposure or rejection. With the right mentoring, they can venture beyond their comfort zone.
Learn from the mistakes of others. You can’t live long enough to make them all yourself. ~ Eleanor Roosevelt
It’s difficult to step back and observe oneself, assess character flaws and prescribe self-remedies. The viewpoint of a trusted coach or colleague is a valuable resource for identifying areas for improvement.
Quiet managers must learn they don’t have the corner on analytical thinking, asserts Beatrice Chestnut, PhD in The 9 Types of Leadership: Mastering the Art of People in the 21st Century Workplace (Post Hill Press, 2017). With coaching and encouragement, they can begin to accept other perspectives and experiences. The next steps are collaborating with people and developing the courage to discuss ideas on their technical and cultural merits. (This may take a coworker’s prompting.)
Learning to expand the power of relationships and deal with people is crucial. Quiet managers are more motivated to overcome their inhibitions when they fully grasp the consequences of refusing to change. Using case studies, an experienced coach can remind them of the personal and organizational penalties for keeping one’s distance.
Quiet managers will ultimately discover their relationship fears are overblown. People are not out to expose, defeat or reject them. Workplace drama is normal and isn’t typically subversive. People want someone to support and follow. They generally want to do great work and succeed. An effective coach teaches the quiet leader how to build trust, let go and ease into taking some risks.
What do you think? What other specific information would you offer a quiet manager? I’d love to hear from you. You can call me at 561-582-6060, or, I can be reached here or on LinkedIn.
