内向的人也可以成为职场千里马

For starters, being inside one's own head a lot isn't a bad thing. "We get our energy from what people refer to as our inner world," says Lisa Petrilli, a self-proclaimed introvert and CEO of C-Level Strategies, a company that works with leaders in mid-sized firms ($100 million to $1 billion). "That's very powerful. Ideas really do run businesses." Being energized by one's inner world translates into "being able to see and create a vision for others to follow."

首先，喜欢思考并不是坏事。C-Level Strategies公司CEO丽莎??彼得里利自称是一位内向性格者，她主要和市值在1-10亿美元之间的中型企业领导人打交道。她说：“我们从所谓的内心世界获得能量。这种能量非常强大。好点子确实能够促进公司的发展。”我们可以这样解读从内心世界获得能量的行为，即“能够找到、创造一个愿景，吸引其他人一起追随。”

Second, while introverts don't spend a lot of time talking, they do spend a lot of time listening — not a bad skill for managing client interactions.

其次，虽然内向者说的很少，但他们却非常善于倾听——在进行客户沟通时，这是一项不错的技能。

They may even be better networkers. "There's a myth that networking is all about cold-calling people and walking up to strangers at cocktail parties," says Lindsey Pollak, global spokesperson for LinkedIn (LNKD) and author of the newly re-issued book Getting from College to Career. "Often the best connections are made through mutual acquaintances. Shy people tend to feel most comfortable networking with the people they know, and then ask those people for referrals to others. That's a good strategy for anyone."

其实，内向者或许更善于交际。商务社交网站LinkedIn全球发言人琳赛·波拉克认为：“人们一直以为，主动出击、在鸡尾酒会上主动与陌生人搭讪才是交际的真谛。其实，最好的交际方式是通过中间熟人来实现。腼腆的人与熟人交流感觉最为自在。他们可以让朋友介绍其他人。而这正是一种非常有效的交际策略。”琳赛·波拉克的作品《从学业到职业》（Getting from College to Career）将于近期再版。

Fortunately for introverts and the organizations that would like to tap their talent, technology is making it easier to be visible without shouting. "What technology does, really, is it allows us to connect with other people in less stimulating ways," says Cain.

不过，对于内向性格者和希望挖掘他们才华的公司来说，这里有一个好消息——科技使人们能够更方便地展现自己，而无需在会议中高谈阔论。凯恩认为：“科技真正所能做的在于它可以使我们用一种更为温和的方式与他人沟通。”

Email introductions are infinitely easier for introverts than picking up the phone, and "with the Internet, you can connect with hundreds, thousands, or millions of people without ever leaving the house." A white paper is easily shared and debated without having to fly somewhere to make a presentation.

比如，对于内向性格者来说，通过电子邮件介绍自己比打电话要简单得多。“而且通过互联网，我们足不出户就能与成百上千，甚至与数百万人进行互动。”人们可以轻松共享和讨论一份白皮书，而不必飞来飞去做演示。

Organizations can also actively take steps to help their introverts feel comfortable. Cain suggests that companies "should think really hard about their office design" and create places where "people can have personalization and privacy" without a huge conference room reservation process. "You shouldn't have to sign up to be by yourself."

公司也可以采取积极措施，帮助内向性格的员工更加自如地工作。凯恩建议，公司“应该慎重考虑办公室的布置”，使员工无需经过预订会议室、召开会议的繁琐程序，就“可以在办公室保持自己的个性与隐私”。“完全没必要搞得这么复杂。”

And even rethinking meetings can help. "Make sure to give people ways to contribute that aren't just to jump into the fray." Something as simple as handing out an agenda of a meeting in advance will give introverts "time to think it through." And since introverts are often energized by such thinking, they'll probably have great ideas to contribute — if you bother to listen.

即便必须要借助会议，也应该重新考虑如何让会议真正发挥作用。“公司应该提供各种途径，给所有员工机会，让他们能为公司做出自己的贡献，而不是让所有人都抢着出风头。”其实，最简单的就是提前公布会议议程，使性格内向的员工有“充裕的时间思考和准备。”内向性格者往往可以从这种思考中获得能量，因此，或许他们会有很出色的想法——当然，前提是老板乐意倾听。