Ep 160 - Amplify Your Introvert Strengths for the Workplace with Stacey Chazin

Have you ever felt like your introversion is a barrier to your success, especially in settings that seem to cater to extroverts?

Today's episode of the  Quiet and Strong podcast delves into the challenges and strengths of being an introvert in a world seemingly designed for those who thrive in a loud world while remaining true to themselves. Join host David Hall and leadership development coach Stacey Chazin as they dispel myths about introversion and provide practical strategies for success.

Learn how a Myers Briggs assessment can improve self-understanding, why appreciating introverted qualities can boost your professional life, and gain insights into effective goal setting that matches your reflective nature. This episode is a valuable guide for owning your introverted strengths and thriving in your personal and professional journey.

Tune in to unlock the full discussion and gather tools to confidently navigate conferences, leverage your thoughtful decision-making, and fully embrace your unique gifts. And be strong.

Episode Link: QuietAndStrong.com/160

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Stacey Chazin is a dynamic leadership development coach and proud introvert. She is rewriting the narrative on introversion. Having grappled with societal expectations that favored extraversion, Stacey underwent a remarkable transformation. Instead of conforming to societal pressures, she embraced her introverted qualities, turning them into powerful assets that allowed her to thrive both professionally and personally. Now, as a fervent advocate for introverts, Stacey draws on her extensive corporate and non-profit experience, a master's in organizational development and leadership, and certification as a Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) practitioner to empower introverts, guiding them toward self-acceptance, fulfillment, and success in the workplace and beyond.

Connect with Stacey:
 
Website: ifactorleadership.com

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Contact the Host of the Quiet and Strong Podcast:

David Hall

Author, Speaker, Educator, Podcaster

quietandstrong.com
Gobio.link/quietandstrong
david [at] quietandstrong.com

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Transcript

Stacey Chazin [00:00:00]:
When we talk about the notion of aligning with your your introverted self and the best of who you are, introverts do really well when they can prepare ahead of time. Right? And as you and I have talked about and to the extent that you as an introvert, that I as an introvert can Get a copy of a meeting agenda. Understand the desired outcomes. Know, know what's expected of me. Know, get my hands on the prereads. If there's something that we're gonna be expected to give feedback on at a meeting, in real time to get that stuff in advance so that I can do that deep thinking that brings out the best of me.

David Hall [00:00:43]:
Hello, and welcome to episode 160 of the Quiet and Strong podcast, especially for introverts. I'm your host, David Hall and the creator of quietandstrong.com. This is a weekly podcast dedicated to understanding the strengths and needs of introverts. Introversion is not something to fix, but to be embraced. Normally, we'll learn each episode on a Monday. Be sure to subscribe on your favorite platform. Tell a friend. Leave a review.

David Hall [00:01:07]:
That would mean a lot to me. Reviews help more people find the podcast and help spread the word about the strengths and needs of introverts. Help introverts embrace their introversion and promote overall understanding for all of the beauty of introversion. Stacy Chazen is a dynamic leadership development coach and a proud introvert. She is rewriting the narrative on introversion, Having grappled with societal expectations that favored extroversion, Stacy underwent a remarkable transformation. Instead of conforming to societal pressures, She embraced her introverted qualities, turning them into powerful assets that allowed her to thrive both professionally and personally. Now as a fervent advocate for introverts, Stacey draws on her extensive corporate and nonprofit experience, a master's in organizational development and leadership, And a certification as a Myers Briggs type indicator practitioner to empower introverts, guiding them towards self acceptance, fulfillment, and success in the workplace And beyond. Well, welcome to the Quiet and Strong podcast, Stacey.

David Hall [00:02:10]:
Stacey, it's so good to have you on today.

Stacey Chazin [00:02:12]:
Thanks, David. It's great to be here.

David Hall [00:02:14]:
Alright. We're gonna talk about the great work you do, especially coaching other introverts. But before we do that, let's just talk a little bit about you and your journey, your journey Of being an introvert to now coaching other introverts.

Stacey Chazin [00:02:27]:
Yeah. I'd love to. Thanks. So my journey started off as, I think, It's true for most introverts really when I was a kid and and throughout school and early in my career when, I often heard that People thought I was antisocial or shy or aloof, and, people looked at me a little funny when I preferred to work by myself on a project, in the workplace, or I I wanted to take a little more time to respond to something in writing. And, and these words didn't really resonate with me. I didn't understand why the way I was approaching things was off putting to others. Like, what I did know was that loud large crowds I found that large crowds exhausted me. I much preferred to have a small group of friends than a whole cadre of people to spend my time with, and that my best relationships and my best work even came from the times and circumstances when I could go deeper, when I could take my time, and I could be more focused.

Stacey Chazin [00:03:28]:
And then, I think it was in my late thirties, I started learning about the notion of introversion. I'd heard the word introvert before. But when I I started to learn about introversion as, as a descriptor of someone, as, A framework for understanding what makes people tick, and a light bulb went off for me. I realized that my preferences, The way I like to do things, my talents, and my comfy place in the world made me unique, and I was just fine the way I was and perhaps even powerful when I leaned into into those preferences and those strengths and that it was time I stopped feeling badly about it, about being an introvert and started started to embrace

David Hall [00:04:16]:
it. Yeah. I relate to so much of what you're saying and So many other guests and people I've talked to, you know, felt like something was wrong. And really, I love that that you can feel very powerful by embracing Your gifts and who you are. And, you know, I can remember being told that I needed to be a different way, and That different way was not gonna work for me. I was not gonna be my best. When I started understanding what my way was, That's when I really started to really embrace my introversion and and find that power that you're talking about.

Stacey Chazin [00:04:51]:
Yeah. I can relate to that entirely.

David Hall [00:04:54]:
So what was it? What was the turning point? You said you were in your late thirties. I also relate to that. My journey started much earlier than my late thirties, but I think it was my late thirties where I'm like, yes. I'm an introvert. It's a good thing and learn to embrace it. So what What was it that was that turning point where you said, yeah. I I am an introvert, and I'm gonna embrace this?

Stacey Chazin [00:05:17]:
Great question. So there were a few moments for me. The first one that really got me started was I took part in a Myers Briggs type indicator assessment at a previous job. So Myers Briggs Type indicator or MBTI as it's more commonly known is an assessment that is the most commonly used personality test in the world. I'm actually a certified practitioner in the MBTI now. That's how much I love it. And it helps individuals to identify their preferences along 4 dimensions. One of which is how you direct and receive energy from the world.

Stacey Chazin [00:05:54]:
And on that dimension, you're considered to be someone who prefers Introversion or or an extrovert or someone who prefers introversion or an introvert. And I learned through this assessment that that I am an I, And knowing knowing the preference there and in the other dimensions of the Myers Briggs, of the MBTI helps you to understand who you are at your best, what are your strengths, what are your preferences, and what are some challenges in your approach to things that you might need to manage. So after I took this assessment, my employer had us all take part in a workshop that was facilitated by a leadership coach where we Got to understand not only our personal MBTI profile, but that of the people we worked with. And I got to see when when I read my report, I said it was like a window to my soul. Like, how how do they know this is what makes me tick and when I'm at my best and and what seems to sap my energy. And I was also able to learn about my colleagues and what makes them tick and what fuels their energy and makes them at their best. And for me, it, One, it made me understand that all the way that I showed up at work that there that I could describe my preferences and my style in really positive words, and it also made me stop to, resent how others showed up at work. So I realized there were people in around the room who drove me crazy sometimes, and we didn't work so well together.

Stacey Chazin [00:07:24]:
And I learned that perhaps that was because Their MBTI letters were different than mine. And that I should stop lamenting that, lamenting who they are, lamenting who I am, and that there really is that beauty in the alphabet soup of a team and a group of individuals who have different profile letters coming together, that that's when we're gonna be at our best individually and how we're gonna be at our best as a team.

David Hall [00:07:48]:
Yeah. That's something we have in common. That was a big turning point for me. I also got Certified in the Myers Briggs. And one thing I share often is in that training, the facilitator said, introverts Think and then speak, and extrovert speak in order to think. And that was like a huge light bulb moment for me. Yes. I'm like, Oh, yeah.

David Hall [00:08:08]:
That's true. And I also just like you're saying, I realized, oh, other people are approaching things differently, And it's all good. We need each other. But, you know, just the fact that if you don't understand that you think first, it's just a natural process. Someone else is talking quite a lot. You can feel run over. You can feel it definitely made me feel shy. So, like, Understanding that I'm gonna think first, then speak, and it's a good thing because I'm thinking through my ideas and I'm coming up with good stuff.

David Hall [00:08:39]:
The Myers Briggs was very helpful. Cool. And as you said, we we won't get into this fully, but there's other dimensions. And so it's not just introversion, extroversion. It it tells you other things, And it can definitely give you an idea of how even us as introverts differ because we're not all the same. If half of us are introverts, It's so funny to me that sometimes people try to stereotype half the population. It's like, no. There's some things we have in common, but then that we differ in many, many different ways.

Stacey Chazin [00:09:08]:
That's exactly right. Yeah. Myers Briggs also looks at how we take in information, how we make decisions, how we how we like to plan or, work spontaneously, and go with the flow a little more. So, absolutely, there are are whole different, All different varieties of introverts out there that Myers Briggs can help you uncover. And to your point about feeling, you know, run over with others in the room. Unfortunately, we're in a world that is often wired and set up to favor the extrovert. Right? When you're at a meeting and people are looking for a quick answer or looking for a a quick decision and people to step up immediately with a big idea or a big decision. That's not aligned with how we, as introverts, prefer to communicate and how we how how we are when we're at our best.

Stacey Chazin [00:09:56]:
So that's a challenge.

David Hall [00:09:58]:
Yeah. And we're definitely gonna get into that some more. We also on this show, we definitely talk a lot about the strengths of introverts, so what's the Strength or superpower that you have as an introvert?

Stacey Chazin [00:10:10]:
I would say that I I'm I practice active listening, and I think deeply before I act. I take time to consider what are my options, what are the pros and cons, And I think about how am I gonna communicate my opinion or my decision to others in a way that will be most effective? So I I don't speak off the cuff as frequently as others, and I prepare. I prepare, prepare, prepare before meetings, even before informal, opportunities to engage with others at a conference or, over Zoom in the time before a meeting gets started. I like to prepare. I like to have Notes in front of me, bullets in front of me, so that the words coming out of my mouth reflect thoughtfulness. That comes naturally.

David Hall [00:11:00]:
And I think that preparation is such a good example of why we need to understand the differences Because I didn't always understand that. And, you know, whether it be a speech or meeting or presentation, conversation, I do better when I prepare. And I don't always have to prepare because maybe the thing we're talking about, you know, like introversion. I could talk all day about introversion Without any preparation. But maybe I've already prepared, but in most cases, I'm gonna do better when I prepare. And I could think, well, my extroverted friend doesn't need to prepare as much. Well, that's that they have their own gifts, but mine often is preparation, and that's just an example why we need to understand These differences.

Stacey Chazin [00:11:45]:
Yeah, for sure.

David Hall [00:11:47]:
Alright. So we talk about strengths and needs on this show. Is there a need that you came across? I mean, definitely, preparation is 1. But is there is there another need that you figured out for yourself, hey. Because I'm an introvert, I need to Do this for my to be my best.

Stacey Chazin [00:12:04]:
Yeah. I needed to change the way I I think about and approach networking. So, even even in our virtual world, we're often in in we're in virtual rooms, Zoom rooms of lots people, and sometimes we're still going to conferences. And I would often think about conferences with dread, and, I would feel like I needed to interact and network with people and collect as many business cards as possible, and I would leave these events feeling drained. I probably wouldn't be focused for the next session that was coming up, and I wasn't coming away from them with too many quality connections with folks. And I realized that I needed to really shift my focus to tap into where I shine as a as as an introvert, and and that's in going deep, in identifying a few people or a few types of people who I who I'd like to meet at an event, kind of zeroing in on them, figuring out what my elevator pitch might be for myself. What do I wanna bring to a conversation? What do I wanna get out of it? Do I have a particular goal for networking out of a particular conference? So it could be, for example, that I wanna connect with someone who's in a clinical space that I wanna learn more about or someone who is, a writer or a marketer who could help me with some aspect of my work, find those people, and prepare for it. And and once I shifted my mindset away from that, how many people can I meet, how many business cards can I collect or emails can I get, to really think about, the depth of the connections and the being purposeful in those connections, that was a really helpful shift for me?

David Hall [00:13:52]:
Yeah, for me, and it sounds like for you, just bouncing from person to person, it's not only draining, but it's not going to be effective. You know, we're not making those deep connections, so you make some great points. We need to have a goal, and our goal, again, may be different from our extroverted colleague.

Stacey Chazin [00:14:12]:
Yeah. And if I could share, I actually captured some of those strategies for big conferences in a guide that I created. It's a conference survival guide for introverts. And if your listeners go to ifactorgift.com, they can request that free resource, and it's, it talks about things like your strategies. Do you prepare in advance? What can you pack in your suitcase even to protect your introverted self at a conference and the types of things that you can do afterward to to nurture the connections that you've made. So I encourage folks to check that out.

David Hall [00:14:43]:
I haven't read that yet, but I am going to because that is definitely something important. Because I enjoy a conference, but I need to enjoy it on my introverted terms. You know, I don't need to try and do things like people I might be with, but that's a point. So I'll put that in the show notes.

Stacey Chazin [00:14:59]:
Another area, that I've shifted my approach as an introvert that I think other introverts could benefit from is how we approach getting ready for a meeting. And you talked about, when we talk about the notion of aligning with your your introverted self and the best of who you are. Introverts do really well when they can prepare ahead of time. Right? And as you and I have talked about and to the extent that you as an introvert, that I as an introvert can get a copy of a meeting agenda, understand the desired outcomes, know, know what's expected of me, know, get my hands on the prereads if there's something that we're gonna be expected to give feedback on at a meeting, in real time to get that stuff in advance so that I can do that deep thinking that brings out the best of me. And, really, that's a best practice for introverts and extroverts, for a meeting facilitator or organizer to send out that agenda with your desired outcomes, with anything that you want folks to read before they come so that you're getting the most out of people when they're around the table, whether that's a virtual table or in person. So that's a big as well.

David Hall [00:16:06]:
Yeah. So in the in the meeting, if you introduce something that you want my thoughts on right then, I may have some good thoughts, but Some might come to me later because I haven't thought about it yet. So if you want my best thoughts in the meeting, then let's have an agenda. And also, I wanna share my best thoughts in the meeting, but we also have to allow introverts to come back after, you know, again. To me, the strategy is just Get all my best thoughts out there while we're meeting, but at the same time, we need to allow our introverted employees to contribute after the fact if they're still thinking about something.

Stacey Chazin [00:16:42]:
That's so true, and that speaks to the advocating for what you need as an introvert. Letting others with whom you work, whether they're Introverts or or other introverts who might need some reminding. So this is what I need to be most successful in our space together. And and that could be, for example, at a meeting, if asked for your opinion or you're asked to make an a decision on the spot. Say, you know what? I need to give that some thought. And In order for me to give you my best work, my best thinking, I need to take that back and sit with it for a bit, and I'll get back to you in 2 days or or whatever the time frame is and and see if that's if that time frame works for whoever needs that information from you, because they someone might not know why it is you're not giving your your idea right away, and I think that speaks to a risk that introverts face when they're not showing up in an Introverted way. People might make assumptions as to why that is. So they might think, oh, he doesn't know the answer.

Stacey Chazin [00:17:37]:
He doesn't have that expertise. He's not committed to this to this joint venture. So you don't want them to think that. You want them to to see the best of who you are, and sometimes that's gonna be in a different time frame than they might be asking for it to be.

David Hall [00:17:52]:
Let me think about that is a saving phrase for us, and it might be a minute or, You know, an hour or tomorrow, you know, let me think about that is is very important because sometimes we just need need some time to think. And at the same time, When we take that time, then we're gonna come up with something great and people will understand and probably value that they've given us time to

Stacey Chazin [00:18:15]:
think. For sure.

David Hall [00:18:19]:
Alright. So we talk about strengths and needs on this podcast, and we also bust some myths. Is there a myth or two about introversion you wanna bust today?

Stacey Chazin [00:18:29]:
Oh, there are a lot of myths about introversion, and I would say the first thing is that, some people might think that introverts are antisocial or they're not friendly. Introverts are are differently social. So I know that I, as an introvert, I enjoy people, but I enjoy a fewer number of people at time or a fewer number of people total. It's not that I'm antisocial. I'm just not fueled, and don't get enjoyment from socializing with a really large group of people at once. And, I think that's important for people to know. I think as we just talked a little bit about Not speaking up in a meeting, doesn't mean that you don't have expertise or ideas. That's another myth that we need to dispel, and let people know we're really just leaning into our our strength, our comfy place the the spot that really gets us to do our best work of thinking deeply and carefully.

Stacey Chazin [00:19:30]:
There's a myth that Introverts are arrogant or or aloof, and I think that ties into the whole notion of being differently social. And I'd say the biggest myth about introverts that I'm really trying to dispel through my work is that introverts are not strong leaders, and that's that's just not true. Unfortunately so about half of the world is considered introverted, but Only about 37%, one study found, of senior level executives and leaders in organizations are introverted. So they're greatly underrepresentative under they're greatly underrepresented in positions of leadership when in fact, they have a lot of powerful unique gifts that they can leverage for professional success. And that includes being empathetic, thinking deeply, enjoying the solitude that can sometimes fuel true creativity, and, having a depth of relationships with the people who you're leading that can really inspire folks and support them to be stronger leaders themselves.

David Hall [00:20:38]:
Yeah. So let's talk about that because I believe the same. I think introverts can be amazing leaders. It's just gonna look different. The approach is gonna be different. How is the approach different from the successful extroverted leader?

Stacey Chazin [00:20:51]:
Yeah, great question. So one thing is one approach that introverts or can take and are likely to take, is to demonstrate their leadership and forge connections in smaller forms. So, less so about standing up in front of a room of 500 people, having connections with folks in small group formats, on teams, individually, listening to what people, are looking to achieve, the challenges they're facing. So demonstrating on that smaller group or individual, level that you're deeply listening to what an individual on your team or in your organization wants to achieve, what their strengths are, and then giving them opportunities to become good leaders. So they they say I've read, that being a true leader means giving people the capacity and opportunities to become leaders themselves. And I think introverts are particularly well wired to do that. Leaders are often extroverted leaders are often the folks who are who are at the front of the room with those big ideas on the with with grand proclamations, demonstrating their spontaneous creativity, motivating people from a podium. And I think the leader who is an introvert is gonna tap into, it's it's gonna tap into their strength in writing, for example.

Stacey Chazin [00:22:18]:
So maybe their motivational speech is a motivational email or letter that goes out to all staff. And it's recognizing as well that the people in your organizations and on your teams need different support, and circumstances to be successful themselves. So really being attuned to the burnout, for example, that can result if If your if your staff people are expected to be in back to back meetings for 8 hours each day, that some folks need that time to recharge. So a lot of it comes from from their empathy and knowing what it means to lead from a a place of different strength.

David Hall [00:22:58]:
Yeah. And, I mean, we're gonna have in most cases, we're gonna have introverts and extroverts on our teams, and we need to understand The strengths and needs of both.

Stacey Chazin [00:23:09]:
Right. Yeah. Hopefully, we'll have them both on our team.

David Hall [00:23:12]:
Yeah. So tell us about your work that you are doing with with the Ifactor Leadership. What is that?

Stacey Chazin [00:23:20]:
Thanks for asking. So Ifactor Leadership is a framework I've developed that incorporates the Myers Briggs type indicator assessment, which, as I shared earlier, helps us to see the best of who we are, and utilizes an approach called appreciative coaching, which is a framework I started to learn about when I was studying organizational development and leadership a few years ago. That's rooted in a concept called appreciative inquiry. And both appreciative inquiry and appreciative coaching are frameworks that flip the script on how we try to affect change in an organization or an individual, where instead of looking at a situation and asking, what's the problem here? We look at what's working well, and it's a wholly positive approach to helping individuals or organizations identify, embrace, and then Figure out how they can most powerfully use the best of who they are in any area of their life, including work. So what we do in appreciative coaching, in my my coaching program and my on demand learning offering, is I work with individuals to figure out how figure out what their strengths are, what their talents are, and what their gifts are through a four stage process. The first phase is called discovery. I guide them through a process of identifying what we call their positive core or the best of who they are. So thinking back to some peak experiences they've had in their lives and how they showed up there.

Stacey Chazin [00:24:55]:
We then move into What's called the dream phase where I guide them to bring to life what their ideal state is in some area of their work. So as an example, One of my executive coaching clients is working on establishing and communicating her boundaries at work better so that she's not being, asked repeatedly to do things that are unreasonable or outside of her scope, and she's also not feeling frustrated or guilty about that. So her dream is to have a a work environment where she's able to communicate, manage those boundaries so that She's less frustrated, and everyone is knowing what they can expect from her. The next phase is called design. And in design, I guide my clients to create a road map for working toward their dream. I help them to identify their initial priorities and figure out some manageable habits and action steps that they can take to start moving toward their dream. And then the last phase, which I love is called destiny, the the 4th d. And in the destiny phase, I help my client adapt tools that allow her to celebrate what she's done, sustain the progress she's made, and then build on that progress to continue growing as a leader.

David Hall [00:26:12]:
Yeah. I love that. So I love the appreciative inquiry approach as well. Yeah. Maybe what's the opposite of that? What's what's it like when we're not using that? Does that make sense?

Stacey Chazin [00:26:25]:
Yeah. So the opposite is what we typically do as organizations or individuals. We focus on what's not working, and we focus on things that we need to fix rather than taking that that asset based approach that we use through appreciative coaching. And what happens when we focus on the negative areas, What we give our attention to is what grows. So we're we're giving energy to things that are not serving us, that are not serving our organization. And in contrast, when we're taking this appreciative approach, we are we're fueling what is working. And I recall when I was in graduate school taking a course on appreciative inquiry, I was talking to my instructor about a challenge I was having on One of the teams I was on at work, where there's an individual who I found particularly challenging. And I said to her, But if I don't tell him what he's doing wrong, how will he know? And she said, he doesn't need to know.

Stacey Chazin [00:27:28]:
He doesn't need you to tell him what he's doing wrong. Tell him what he's doing right. And when you focus on that and you say, you know, hey. I wanna let you know I really found it helpful when you gave me that feedback, or I appreciated that You gave me that deliverable a day ahead of time. It gave me a little more time to digest and give and give feedback on it, and I think we were able to accomplish so much more when we did it that way. That's gonna tell that individual, it's really challenging for me when you give give me things after the deadline without using those words. Right? The appreciative approach is a whole lot more inspiring.

David Hall [00:28:03]:
Yeah. Because my experience is, You know, most of us are doing some great work. We can always improve. Right? But if you approach me and you're only focusing on the negative, not talking about the good stuff we've accomplished, it's not motivating. It's a bad environment for me.

Stacey Chazin [00:28:20]:
Yeah. Yeah. And it really it's such a it's such a flip in the way that we're naturally wired to problem solve.

David Hall [00:28:26]:
Yeah. Yeah. Because we want things to be better, but we have to acknowledge, just like the approach is is What's working, and how can we continue to build on what's working?

Stacey Chazin [00:28:38]:
Yeah. And I I have found, and so with my clients, that it's really liberating When you unhook yourself from that negativity and I I will share I'm a naturally cynical person. And so when I first heard about this approach, This approach, it just I I had a a hard time connecting with it, but once I started practicing it and being conscious of the need to practice it, It it really changed my world. It changed how I approach every professional and even personal situation that that somehow felt like it it needed to be better.

David Hall [00:29:11]:
Those you're coaching, is it something that comes natural to them, the appreciative approach, or are they learning it in most cases?

Stacey Chazin [00:29:19]:
I think it rocks their world when I first tell them. There's that initial, that initial confusion that I had, right, with how will he know what he's doing wrong if I don't tell him.

David Hall [00:29:30]:
Right.

Stacey Chazin [00:29:31]:
And then they they pretty quickly embrace it when I start to give them some examples, and I I share examples of of work I've done with previous clients and, how that's really shifted the interactions that they've had with others at work and the ways that It's allowed them to to shine in the workplace once they start moving toward that positive, once they start Looking at, oh, it's not that I'm shy or antisocial. It's that if you give me this time to recharge, I'm gonna give you the best of me. You're gonna get the best work out of me you can. And when they when they start to see These personality traits or preferences that for so long, they've felt badly about or seen as liabilities in their ability to move up professionally, to get to get a raise, to get a promotion, to get other recognition at work. It's pretty exciting for them, I think, and they have fun experimenting with it. I I prepare them that when they start to shift their focus at work, people might give them some some funny looks over Zoom, or if they're in person because it's so different than the way they've shown up before.

David Hall [00:30:39]:
Yeah. Most everybody wants people to be able to do their best work. I just don't think that they've known how. You know, there's been Not enough talk about our differences in personality and how we bring our strengths to the workplace. And so that's that's what we're doing, right, Stacey?

Stacey Chazin [00:30:57]:
We are, and and so much of it too is own who you are. Don't try to be something you're not. And and that's a thread of advice I give throughout my coaching is Don't don't try to pretend you're an extrovert because you're not, and you're gonna fail miserably if you do. There there certainly are times when we need to lean into that less comfortable side of ourselves, and network in a large room. But there there are ways we can do it, and That can't be your default. You need to think about who you are as an introvert. Own that rock star who you are and not try to be something you're not because it's it's not gonna work out.

David Hall [00:31:33]:
No. And I've tried it. I've tried it many years.

Stacey Chazin [00:31:37]:
I have tried it too. And if I could share 1 story, to me, this was This was a huge moment that I had. I was at a conference. I think it was about 7 years ago. I was there with several 100 people, many of whom I knew, And we were on a lunch break, and one of the conference organizers who I was friendly with and, had worked with for a while, asked me if I would be part of a flash mob that they were gonna form on the stage of the conference room when people came back from lunch. And I wanted I wanted to fit in. I wanted to show that I was game for anything. I want I thought it would be great to be in front of all these people, and it would give me some more visibility in my role.

Stacey Chazin [00:32:18]:
And I said, sure. I'll do that. I'm not a good dancer. I don't enjoy dancing. And as an introvert, the idea of hundreds of eyes on me on a stage Generally makes my skin crawl. But I wanted to do this because I thought this is gonna be good for me. I should say yes. So I did it.

Stacey Chazin [00:32:36]:
I was one of the first 5 people on the stage. So at at the beginning, hundreds of eyes were on me and just a few other people. And as soon as it was over, I ran for the hills. I I retreated to, to the ladies' room for the next hour to recover from what was really Kind of emotionally traumatizing for me. I should not have done that. And it was such a lapse in judgment and such a, a moment where I forgot that I'm an introvert, and I I shouldn't be saying yes to things that are gonna completely sap my energy and make me so uncomfortable, that it was almost debilitating for me for the next hour or so, and that was a huge wake up call. And then and after that meeting, I became a lot more purposeful and and conscious of when I said yes to invitations and requests that I knew were not aligned with who I am as an introvert.

David Hall [00:33:30]:
Yeah. That's a great story. And it's it's really, What do you want? You know? If you don't want to be on stage, say so. You know? That's not gonna work for me. If you're an introvert and you do wanna do that and you wanna go up on the stage, there's ways to figure out how to get rid of that anxiety and do what you wanna do. But don't don't be forced into something that just you really don't care for. But if you wanna do it, there's there's ways to work with that too.

Stacey Chazin [00:33:57]:
Yeah. For sure.

David Hall [00:34:00]:
I kinda found you because I I really liked the LinkedIn post that you did on setting New Year's resolutions as an introvert. And to me, that's so important because as we've been talking about, that's where I've found my success is learning to approach life As an introvert, so I'm gonna do things differently. You know, my first book was on time management for introverts because I realized I have strengths and needs that the time management books weren't calling out, you know?

Stacey Chazin [00:34:27]:
Right.

David Hall [00:34:27]:
So I loved your I loved your post. You wrote a post on 10 things and you're writing about each thing in more detail. Tell us about that. Why is it important to approach even our goals As introverts.

Stacey Chazin [00:34:40]:
Great question. Yeah. I'm glad you read the the the New Year's resolution. So I put out 10 New Year's resolutions for introverts that can launch us on a path for professional success and triumph in 2024. And, folks can find that by going to my website, which is ifactorleadership.com, the letter I, the word factor, and leadership.com. All my blog posts are there. And, yes, each week, I'm exploring one of the New Year's resolutions. And the second one on there, the first one was to know your strengths as an introvert.

Stacey Chazin [00:35:09]:
Just spend some time reflecting on the best of who you are. And then the next one was to set goals for the coming year and being planful about that. And that is so important for introverts in particular. And I offered some guidance on that. And before I I share the guidance, I'll say for for us as introverts, that Structured approach is so important. Right? It aligns with our inclination for thoughtful planning. It helps us to, to thrive when we have a clear sense of our direction. And when you capture your goals in a blue in a blueprint, You can literally create this path that's gonna delineate how you're gonna how you're gonna work towards success in the coming year.

Stacey Chazin [00:35:53]:
Some steps I offered there in that process of goal setting, were to reflect on what your professional aspirations are over the long term. So what milestones do you wanna achieve this year? And really align your goals with what your intrinsic motivations are. So introverts often find fulfillment in work that aligns with our values and our passions. So you might wanna start off by making a list of your values and passions and then Consider what goals might reflect those intrinsic motivators, how you can how you can be fueling your values and passions as you're working professionally. I also advise to break down your goals into manageable steps. Embrace how introverts love detailed planning, and then each step becomes a tangible, achievable task, which can minimize any overwhelm that you have, and create a visual road map. You can use a visual aid, like a timeline, a chart, or a mind map that helps you to create a visual representation of your goals. Many introverts actually process information more effectively through visual means.

Stacey Chazin [00:37:00]:
So that visual road map can really serve as a a constant reminder of your trajectory and even post it somewhere where you where you'll see it often. It could be next to your computer, on the cover of your daily planner, or maybe even on your bathroom mirror. And, I encourage you to celebrate even small wins as you're implementing your plan for the year. So introverts, tend to see success that's characterized by steady progress rather than the big giant leaps. So recognizing and reveling in your small wins can Also reinforce the commitment that you have to your goals.

David Hall [00:37:37]:
Yeah. Absolutely. And I love that visual representation because I think that we need to do more of that as introverts because we have these rich imaginations And sometimes you have something in your head, and it may not be clear to other people. So, you know, in this context, you're talking about making it up for yourself, but It's also just important to to be able to show these great ideas that we have in our heads, you know, that Are so clear to us sometimes.

Stacey Chazin [00:38:09]:
Absolutely.

David Hall [00:38:11]:
And so how is this goal setting different for introverts than extroverts?

Stacey Chazin [00:38:16]:
Well, I think that extroverts that so anyone could benefit from a stepwise approach to goal setting for the year. Right? For introverts, That that need and that preference for the the details of a plan tends to be a little more, pronounced in in our comfortable space and in where we're gonna be getting our motivations from. So extroverts, Also, as we as we've talked about, they often like to they think out loud in many in many cases. So, for an extrovert, The, they're gonna they might be more fueled by a plan that reflects their bigger ideas, ideas that they're gonna be working on and evolving over the course of the year. And while an introvert's plan shouldn't be stagnant, there's certainly A a benefit to updating your plan as you make progress, as your circumstances change, or as your needs change as a professional, having that on paper, whether it's in words or in a visual, fuels the introvert in ways typically in ways that are more impactful than an extrovert.

David Hall [00:39:28]:
Definitely. And something when I talk about this is we're the masters of reflection.

Stacey Chazin [00:39:35]:
That's right.

David Hall [00:39:36]:
We need to give ourselves some time. So when you are thinking about your goals, find some time to think where you don't have distractions. And, you know, that's definitely where we'll get the best out of ourselves is when we do have some time to think. And maybe it's a big block of time as you're just really, Really planning out your goals, but then you gotta have it regularly too.

Stacey Chazin [00:39:59]:
Absolutely. Yeah. That that introspection where you check-in to say, how am I doing? And considering, for example, are these really the goals I wanna be working on this year? Are they aligning with my goals and my with my are the. Am I are my goals aligning with my with my values? And, might they need some tweaking? So we love that introspection time. So, I would even suggest with goals, set a time in your calendar, quarterly, perhaps, where you you pull that out and you revisit. And you say, Is this is this plan for the year aligning with where I wanna be at the end of it? And is

David Hall [00:40:36]:
Yeah. That's

Stacey Chazin [00:40:37]:
great advice. The best of who I am. Yep.

David Hall [00:40:40]:
Yeah. Because things change.

Stacey Chazin [00:40:43]:
For sure.

David Hall [00:40:44]:
You're you're gonna new opportunities are gonna come your way, new challenges. And so I like that. It's definitely not just about the new year. It's it's you gotta build that in. And, you know, I I think it's I also like a quarterly deep dive approach, but then I also like the weekly approach too and the daily approach. You know, you have to keep all these things in

Stacey Chazin [00:41:08]:
mind. For sure.

David Hall [00:41:10]:
So I know we've already talked about some of the other things you you call out in in your New Year's resolutions like, the need for preparation, how to be a good networker. Is there anything else you wanna call out today?

Stacey Chazin [00:41:23]:
The piece I really wanna emphasize, I'd say it's the 1st New Year's resolution, which is knowing your strengths. Right? That is the foundation of an introvert success in the workplace. You wanna start off by by taking that appreciative approach with yourself. And you can do that with a coach like me, but anyone can do it on their own. Sit down with a pen and paper or at your computer and think back. What were some peak experiences? Where did I really shine at work or even in my prof in my personal life over the past year. What were some of those instances and what did I look like there? How was it was I talking? Did I prepare? Was I was I listening? Did I take it all in? What did that what did that success look like, and what did I look like when I was in that space? And to come up with that list of here are the circumstances and the ways in which I shine. And and to look at what What gifts, what talents, what strengths of yours fuel those situations.

Stacey Chazin [00:42:21]:
That that's the root of it all. In order for you to succeed in the workplace to your potential as an introvert, you need to first have your own appreciation for what makes you great. How are you a rock star? And once you know that, once once you have that and I encourage you to put it down on paper So you can look back at it to remind yourself. You need to do that 1st and foremost before you can begin to convince others and show others, Demonstrate to others how those gifts can contribute to their success to the organization's success, and help them achieve their goals. That's that's the start of your path to really shining at work.

David Hall [00:43:00]:
Yeah. Well said. That was such a turning point for me is just really realizing, you know what? I have gifts. Other people have different gifts. They're all needed. You know, it's not a one size fits all approach like there's one way for us all to be. We each have our contributions to make and We need to recognize that. And I need to recognize my gifts, but I also need to recognize other people's gifts.

David Hall [00:43:23]:
And somehow, we just need that understanding just to work all around.

Stacey Chazin [00:43:28]:
Absolutely. Right? Other folks are much better dancers than I am and like to be on the stage. Let them be in the flash mob, not me.

David Hall [00:43:36]:
Yeah. Yeah. I I don't mind being on a stage speaking, but I'd probably not gonna enjoy, dancing on the stage.

Stacey Chazin [00:43:43]:
I'm with you. I love to I love to speak in front of a group up on a podium, but Yeah. But but after I do that And I talked to a few people, I need to go and be by myself and recharge.

David Hall [00:43:55]:
Yeah. Definitely, that's something too with all this conversation. You know, introverts can be amazing public speakers. It's just we've talked a lot about preparation. That's so key. And also just the whole energy behind it, you know, you need to prepare ahead of time, but also, You know, when do you need to take a break after? Like, I always schedule an hour after this podcast and whether I'm drained or not. I don't think I'm gonna be drained by this conversation because it's it's been such a great conversation, but I have an hour after to just kinda unwind if I need to. And that's the key.

David Hall [00:44:35]:
It's like, are you gonna be able to go mingle with 2,000 people their word, or are you gonna need to go back to your hotel room and take a break and chill out? And and those are all important things to understand. But it's been great understanding my preparation. I don't get nervous anymore like I used to.

Stacey Chazin [00:44:54]:
Yeah. Yeah. I I will tell you. I'll 1 up you. I have 2 hours after this one. Alright. The calendar. I'm meeting with a coaching client, 2 hours after this, And, I'll I'll do a little recharging, but but you're absolutely right.

Stacey Chazin [00:45:09]:
And you need to you need to plan for it. Right? I mean, take it when you need it because it it might sneak up on you unexpectedly, but block that time. I even block on my calendar Each day when I'm gonna practice, wellness activities, when I'm gonna either practice yoga or meditate or exercise, And it doesn't always happen that day or and it might not happen at the exact time I scheduled it, but having it on my calendar prevents me from scheduling over it, prevents other people from scheduling over it, and really increases the likelihood that it's gonna happen. It's making a statement that this is what I need even if it's just a statement to myself on my calendar. Like, I need to practice yoga today or tomorrow in order to be the best that I am, for example.

David Hall [00:45:53]:
Alright. One more question for you along those lines. So we so like we just talked about that we needed some space to Recharge sometimes, but we also need quiet for lots of other reasons, thinking, doing some of our best planning, dreaming, reflecting on our goals. When do you find your quiet time?

Stacey Chazin [00:46:12]:
I find my quiet time in the morning. I'm an early bird. I love to get up before anyone else is up in my house and

David Hall [00:46:20]:
Yeah.

Stacey Chazin [00:46:21]:
Even if it's to fold the laundry, sometimes it's to do work. Sometimes it's to journal. Sometimes it's to to work out. But having no one up when I'm up and and I have that space when no one's asking anything of me. That's my time.

David Hall [00:46:36]:
Yeah. That sounds great. That's that's me too. I'm married to a night owl, so I get my quiet in the Evening and my introverted wife gets her no. I I said that wrong. I get my quiet time in the morning and my introverted wife gets her quiet time kinda later than after I've gone to bed sometimes.

Stacey Chazin [00:46:52]:
Very nice.

David Hall [00:46:53]:
Alright. Stacy, this has been a great conversation. Where can people find out more about the work you're doing?

Stacey Chazin [00:46:59]:
Well, I've loved talking about this with you. I appreciate the time. People can find out more about me by coming to my website, which is ifactorleadership.com, The letter I, the word factor, and then leadership .com, you can find my New Year's resolutions for introverts there, as well as blog posts that dive into each of the in each of the resolutions for the coming year. And I also have a whole host of resources and tools and ways that you can work with me to help you advance professionally, find success in the workplace, and feel great about what you do.

David Hall [00:47:35]:
Alright. Well, thank you again, Stacey. I'll put all that in the show notes.

Stacey Chazin [00:47:38]:
Thank you so much, David. This was such a pleasure.

David Hall [00:47:41]:
Thank you so much for joining me. I look forward to further connecting with you. Reach out at david@quietandstrong.com Or check out the quietandstrong.com website, which includes blog posts, links to social media, and other items. Send me topics or guests you would like to see on the show. If you're interested in getting to know yourself better, there's now a free Typefinder personality assessment on the Quiet and Strong website. This free assessment will give you a brief report, including the four letter Myers Briggs code. I'll add a link to the show notes. There's so many great things about being an introvert, so we need those to be understood.

David Hall [00:48:19]:
Get to know your introverted strengths and needs and be strong.