5 Things That Affect Your Work Performance More Than Introversion

It’s easy to blame your introversion for how you perform at work. Yes, you are quiet during team meetings or feel worn out by the ongoing workplace drama you’re trying so hard to stay out of. Maybe your coworkers raise their eyebrows when you choose to work on your own rather than in groups or you don’t sign up for every after-work socializing event.  Maybe you feel like your introversion is the reason why you’re in a slump and not performing as well as you're capable of.   

But the truth is, there are many other factors that might be holding you back, and none of them have to do with being an introvert.

1. Your Time Management

Time management is an all-encompassing habit that can greatly affect how you work and whether those efforts yield success. Poor time management shows up in several ways:

• Lingering longer than you should by the water cooler (a problem of procrastination).
• Avoiding an important (but difficult) task in favor of answering less-pressing emails (a problem of prioritization).
• Spending far longer on a task than it is worth (a problem of perfectionism).

Even if you’re busy all the time and hitting targets, it doesn’t mean you’re using proper time management techniques. So take a step back and analyze how you’re delegating your time. Are you spending hours on tasks that don’t require it? Are you constantly running into deadlines? Do people get annoyed when you need things now and don’t give them adequate time to prepare? If you’re not working efficiently, your work performance will suffer—and you'll be stressed out spinning your wheels and not receiving recognition for what you are accomplishing.

How to fix it: 

• Make a list of priorities. Start with the most important and work your way down to the least important. Leave the least important tasks for later and start tackling the hard stuff. Doing this will put you ahead of the game (or at least on track) as you avoid procrastination. 
• Use productivity hacks. Try blocking out specific time slots to work on different tasks or incorporating stints of work followed by work breaks to refresh your tired brain. Maximizing your productivity doesn’t mean exhausting yourself—it means managing your time.
• Utilize any digital tools that may help. These may include email calendars, phone alarms or project management software 

2. Your Boundaries

Boundaries stand between what you allow and what you don’t. They're your mental lines in the sand that keep you focused on your own work and work-life balance, instead of allowing coworkers to disrespect or take advantage of you. In most cases of boundary problems at work, the common issue is saying “yes” to a boss or coworker who is asking too much of you, when you really mean “no”.  Burnout and poor performance are almost always the result.

How to set boundaries at work: 

• Be clear about what you need. Your boss and coworkers won’t know your boundaries unless you state them. Make it clear if you prefer people to leave you alone to limit distractions throughout your day. Approach people respectfully with your requests.
• Say “no.” You don’t have to take on additional tasks if they’re optional. Don't automatically say “yes” if your boss asks if you have the bandwidth for something new. Think about your workflow; if you don’t have time to tackle it, be honest.
• Stay consistent with your boundaries. If you are willing to bend boundaries, this may send the message that you aren’t serious about them: meaning people may continue to take advantage. 

3. Your Work Environment

If you’re in a toxic work environment, it’s no wonder you’re struggling to give your job your all. Negative and hostile work spaces can deeply affect employees, causing a drop in motivation and performance. The constant stress of challenging dynamics or unfair expectations will drain your energy, leaving less mental bandwidth for doing quality work.

If your workplace isn’t toxic, but you are still unhappy at your current workplace, it may just not be the right fit for you. Ask yourself, is it too fast-paced, cut-throat and competitive for you? Is it too team-oriented, where you can’t get enough alone time? You may be unable to change these things, but knowing the reason why the workplace feels off may help you realize why you aren’t feeling happy at work.

How to fix it: 

• If it’s a toxic workplace, plan your escape. Although it can be scary to leave a job behind, you don’t have many options for handling a toxic work environment. Human Resources may be able to help if it's an issue with a coworker, but if it's the overall culture of your workplace, it's time to start looking for other opportunities. 
• If the environment isn’t a match, consider petitioning ways to improve it. Could you suggest company happy hours to build camaraderie? Or request more standing meetings to limit your exposure to distracting coworkers?
• Find other ways to get fulfillment at work. So maybe your workplace environment isn’t perfect, but are there ways to personally feel more fulfilled at work? Maybe that means taking projects from a different team or volunteering for more creative tasks. Consider what you can do to improve your morale on your own.

4. Emotional Intelligence

Having low emotional intelligence can negatively impact your work performance by making it harder to understand and manage your emotional responses or get on the same wavelength as your colleagues. Reacting on impulse causes friction in the workplace, and drama has a habit of spreading  like wildfire, distracting from the work at hand. Low EQ may also affect how you react under pressure, which means you’ll struggle with managing stress and often feel overwhelmed (leading to poor performance).

Higher emotional intelligence at work has been proven to improve your communication, strengthen workplace relationships and improve decision-making. It's also a key leadership skill, which means that anyone who is looking to advance in their career should prioritize developing it.

How to work on your emotional intelligence: 

• Take an emotional intelligence test. Knowing how emotionally intelligent you are is a good start to improving this aspect of yourself.
• Try to work on your self-awareness. So much of emotional intelligence requires you to look at yourself objectively. How are you behaving? Did you react to something because of an emotion that came up? Are you blaming introversion as an excuse for something that’s more of a self-sabotaging habit? Consider how you can personally improve.

5. Your Motivation and Values

Your motivation and values play a huge role in shaping your work performance. Why? Because they’re what determine if you’re feeling satisfied at work. If your work aligns with your values, you’ll feel motivated, energized and engaged in what you’re doing. You will find it easier to get tasks done, and done well, because you’ll care about the outcome. 

You may not feel engaged if your job doesn’t align with your motivation and values. For instance, if one of your values is honesty, you’ll struggle in a workplace that’s filled with gossip and unethical practices. Or if you are motivated by teamwork, but your work is mostly solo, you may struggle to get through your shifts. This can affect your productivity, since tasks feel more like a chore than something you’re invested in.

How to fix it:

• Identify your values first, then consider how you can integrate these into your work. For example, if one of your core values is personal growth, how can you find ways to grow in your job? Or, if it’s creativity, are there ways to make your job more creative? 
• Discuss it with your boss. There may be opportunities to grow in a different role or take on responsibilities that align better with your values.
• Remember that you have a life outside of work. If you can engage with what matters to you outside of work, it may help you feel a better work-life balance and lead to more contentment overall.

Don’t Blame Introversion For Everything!

Introversion isn’t the be-all-end-all of why you may be feeling unfulfilled at work—it’s just one factor to consider among many others. And since you can't change your introversion, it's important to focus on what you can control, such as your time management, boundary setting and the role or workplace you're in. Consider which areas you can improve and try to incorporate changes. If you truly feel like you’re in a job that truly doesn’t suit you, you may want to consider a career change. But remember that no job is perfect, and often, it’s what you make it.