Welcome to 4 Questions & 4 Insights #14, where we explore four questions about hearing loss, introversion, and everyday communication.
- How Can Introverts Thrive in Team Projects Without Feeling Exhausted or Overwhelmed?
- How Do People With Hearing Loss Manage Workplace Challenges Like Being Unable to Hear in Meetings or Conference Calls?
- How Do Introverts Build and Maintain Strong, Meaningful Relationships at Work While Preserving Their Personal Space?
- What Are the Best Communication Strategies for People With Hearing Loss to Ensure They’re Understood in the Workplace?
How Can Introverts Thrive in Team Projects Without Feeling Exhausted or Overwhelmed?
Humans are social beings.
– We are born into a family.
– At school we are grouped in classes.
– And in the workplace, we become part of a team.
You enter the conference room, and look at the long table where some of your teammates are already set up. You feel the tightening in your chest as you find your spot. You know the flickering fluorescent light in your peripheral vision will be a constant distraction. You can’t use your noise-cancelling headphones to shut out the hum of conversation as you are expected to participate. Even with the aircon on cold, your anxiety makes you feel too hot.
Does this feel familiar?
Introverts prefer to work independently.
Luckily, teamwork doesn’t have to mean throwing all members in one room to work together. It is more meaningful to have regular meetings for planning, finding solutions to problems, and reporting on progress. The rest of the time the team can work individually or in smaller groups as long as they keep the overall result in mind.
This structure allows introverts to use their unique strength for effective teamwork.
Working as a team creates dependency. Research is a part of teamwork that is best performed individually. It allows introverts to independently gather information. Then they use their writing skills to present it in a logical way.
No team project can succeed without trust. Since team members work on different parts to form a whole, they need to trust that each member will do their part according to the required specs. With their attention-to-detail introverts can spot inconsistencies that can derail the project.
Introverts take ownership of their work and projects. They will give their 100% to ensure its success. If they raise any concerns, they will also work full out to find creative solutions.
Many businesses arrange team-building days or weekends centered around physical challenges. While athletic or high-energy employees find these activities rewarding, others experience them as deeply alienating. For anyone who struggles with physical agility, clumsy execution becomes a source of public humiliation. Mandated corporate games do not build trust when they put a person’s vulnerabilities on display.
A better way to foster understanding and connection between team members is through open communication. Introverts do this naturally through face-to-face conversations and engaging in small groups.
Working in a team often takes us out of our comfort zone. It gives introverts a chance to grow by developing new skills. Introverts hate the spotlight, but presenting their research findings to the team allows them to develop public speaking skills on a smaller scale.
Introverts hate conflict, but it is an unavoidable part of human interaction. Difficult decisions can lead to heated debates. An introvert brings a fresh perspective when they analyze issues and lay out the facts. It leads to more objective decisions.
Even though introverts can be effective team members, they still need enough recovery time to avoid fatigue and overwhelm. When they are working on a team project for an extended time, it is wise to scale down on social engagements to preserve their energy. It also helps to engage in simple activities to allow for cognitive recovery. Gentle movement helps to combat sluggishness. Journalling allows you to process emotions around the project.
How Can People with Hearing Loss Manage Video Meetings Effectively?
Since the Covid-19 pandemic, video meetings have become popular. Although there are benefits, they still pose a challenge for people with hearing loss.
Video calls require a lot of energy. The characteristics of the speakers and microphones affect the sound quality. A poor internet connection distorts sound and adds mechanical noise. Poor visual rendering makes interpreting visual cues demanding.
How can you prepare for a video meeting or call to ensure optimal communication?
Preserve your cognitive energy by keeping to low-key activities before the meeting. Focus on tasks like replying to email and filing. Typically, it is simple tasks that you can finish in a few minutes. It is the perfect time to tie up some loose ends.
Use your noise-cancelling headphones or listen to soft, calming music to prevent noise sensitivity. Giving your ears a break ensures they can perform optimally during your meeting.
Get yourself a hearing buddy. It should be somebody that is also attending the meeting. It allows you to compare notes and catch up on what you’ve missed. If it is a two person conversation, ask the other person to send you a summary of the highlights.
Ask for a written agenda beforehand. Having discussion points give you context and help you to accurately guess missing words. Guessing uses deductive reasoning and a process of elimination to find possible words to fill the gaps.
Check and clean your hearing aids. It only takes a little bit of moisture in a tube to affect its functioning. Ensure you have spare batteries ready or your hearing aids are fully charged. It is not always possible to change batteries during a meeting, so change them beforehand for critical meetings.
Arrange in advance that you will have your phone with you to adjust your hearing aid settings. It will prevent people from thinking you are rude or not interested.
Find a reliable transcription app to use as a written reference. Sometimes it is difficult to listen and read the transcriptions at once. In that case, you can use it for reference later. Alternatively, ask the host to turn on captions if the platform supports it.
Request all participants to keep their cameras on. Explain that lipreading and visual cues help your brain to fill in missing information.
Do a brain dump after the meeting. It helps you to get as much information as possible on paper while your memory is still fresh. Writing it down allows you to follow up quickly about missing information.
Ensure you schedule recovery time to rest your ears and your brain. Retreat to a quiet environment and mindfully drink a cup or coffee. Take a quick walk outside to get your blood moving and clear brain fog.
Want these steps broken down into a visual, page-by-page format? Download our free guide, A Practical Guide to Video Meetings with Hearing Loss, by joining our mailing list here.
How Do Introverts Build and Maintain Strong, Meaningful Relationships at Work While Preserving Their Personal Space?
Meaningful relationships are vital in the workplace. They foster understanding and empathy, and minimise conflict. However, you should balance building relationships with your need for solitude.
Let’s look at how you can build strong relationships in the workplace.
1.Building Strong Relationships
1.1 Use reflective communication
Reflective listening improves communication. It strengthens relationships because it reduces misunderstandings, builds trust and leads to deeper connections.
Reflective communication uses active listening to improve understanding and processing of information. You repeat back or summarise what someone said to prevent misunderstanding. If you are unsure about anything, you ask clarifying questions to gather more information.
1.2. Active listening
Active listening is a process of working to understand the meaning and intent of a speaker’s words. It means being fully present and showing interest through eye contact. Your focus on non-verbal cues like facial expressions and body language helps you to catch the finer nuances.
You listen intently to understand, instead of already formulating your answer while the other person is still speaking. You show this by expressing empathy and showing acceptance. It leads to positive engagement because they feel heard and valued. You show respect for their needs, concerns, and ideas.
Learning about people’s culture is a great way to show acceptance and help you to understand them better.
Active listening is more objective because you listen without judgement. You need to actively stop these thoughts as you become aware of them. Listening without judgement puts the other person at ease. They will feel safe enough to open up to you.
1.3. Asking Clarifying Questions
If in doubt, ask. Open-ended questions help you to gather more information to clarify the speaker’s message. It shows your interest in the conversation and that you want to ensure you understand them correctly.
Clarifying questions aid in understanding, help you find solutions, and evaluate alternatives. It keeps the conversation going and provides pauses for reflection. They delay judgement and prevent you from jumping to (often incorrect) conclusions.
2. Listen with your heart
As an introvert you don’t only listen with your ears. You also listen with your heart.
2.1. Empathy
You read between the lines – tuning in to the speaker’s intentions, emotions, and unspoken messages. It gives a fuller understanding of the speakers’ message. This emotional connection fosters compassion, sympathy and empathy.
A potential pitfall is allowing existing negative feelings about a person to cloud your interpretation of their message. Always consider the context and environment to prevent incorrect interpretations. It is good practice to repeat back what they’ve said or ask clarifying questions.
Key questions to ask yourself are:
– How do you identify and manage your emotions?
– How do you understand, interpret, and respond to other people’s feelings?
You are tuned into your feelings through self-reflection and self-awareness. However, your ability to sense other people’s emotions makes you an empathetic listener. It allows you to engage in empathetic conversations and listen without judgement.
Non-verbal cues like tone of voice, body language, and facial expressions help you notice underlying issues, feelings and attitudes. It leads to better conflict management and helps you build deeper relationships.
For a great example of listening with your heart read The Valuable Art of Listening with the Heart
2.2 Quality Interactions
When you listen without interruptions, you make a person feel valued and heard. Showing the patience to focus entirely on them and listening intently help you to understand their concerns.
Asking clarifying questions helps you get to the heart of the issue. Once you’ve gained a better understanding you can work together towards a solution. It builds trust and stronger working relationships.
Because of your finite social energy, you prefer high-quality interactions. You find these in face-to face-conversations or in smaller groups. It makes opening up and building trust easier, which builds stronger relationships faster.
3. Preserving Personal Space
1. Selective Socialising
Selective socialising is a vital strategy for preserving your energy. However, it is not as simple in the work environment as it is in your personal life.
The work environment is demanding and it often denies you the freedom to choose. Often events are compulsory. Even if they are not, there is often the unspoken expectation that you should attend. Navigating this maze with grace requires wisdom and effective communication.
In this context, selective socialising can mean attending but with restraints. It looks like choosing face-to-face conversations or engaging in small groups. Retreating to a quiet corner to observe. Or staying only for a limited time.
2. Prioritising self-care
Setting boundaries is the foundation for preserving your energy. Building recharging routines into your schedule helps you to recover from sensory overload and fatigue. It is vital that you recognise the signs telling you that you have had enough and need to recharge.
Besides regular times for yourself, you also need to schedule specific breaks after challenging social interactions.
Resting in solitude is your superpower.
When you are fully present, you find joy in simple routines, which calm your mind. In nature, it heightens your sensory perception as you focus on one sense at a time.
Reading offers a means of escape. When you identify with a character, you relate to their feelings. The character’s journey helps you view your feelings more objectively and find ways to deal with them. Seeing how the character overcomes obstacles gives you hope, and can help you find a solution to your problems.
Journaling helps to create distance from your feelings and view them objectively. Writing down your thoughts brings clarity and prevents overthinking. Journaling is a great tool for deep thinking and reflection.
Creative activities focus your attention and this distraction prevents overthinking and catastrophising. Trying out various activities help you discover hidden talents, build confidence, and boost your self-esteem.
4. What Are the Best Communication Strategies for People With Hearing Loss to Ensure They’re Understood in the Workplace?
Before you can ask for reasonable accommodations in the workplace, you first need to ensure you did all you can to treat your hearing loss. It is tragic that most people wait for up to ten years before seeking treatment. All because of the stigma of hearing loss.
– Only old people have hearing loss.
– People will think I am dumb.
– Hearing aids are ugly.
Statistics show that hearing loss is more common than you think.
– Roughly 0.2%–0.3% of children in the US are born with a detectable level of hearing loss in one or both ears.
– Over 90% of these children are born to hearing parents.
– About 15% of American adults have trouble hearing.
– 14%-16% of adults between 20-69 have some degree of hearing loss.
– Age is the strongest predictor of hearing loss in adults, with the greatest amount of hearing loss in the 60-69 age group.
It is vital to note that noise exposure is the most preventable cause of hearing loss.
These statistics show that although hearing loss is prevalent in the elderly, it still shows up in other age groups.
Having a hearing evaluation and getting fitted with a suitable hearing aid is the foundation of effective communication in the workplace.
There are completely in-canal (CIC) hearing aids that are invisible, although your goal should be the best device for your hearing loss. NOT TO HIDE IT!
With current technology behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aids are much smaller and less visible. If that hasn’t convinced you yet, there are now many fashionable covers to decorate them with. To get an idea, check out DeafMetal® Hearing Aid Jewelry.
When you get your first hearing aid, you choose communication over comfort, and help to reduce the stigma around hearing loss. It reduces the effort of constantly straining to hear and preserves cognitive energy. Your hearing aids do the heavy lifting of processing sound and reduce the ruthless effects of listening fatigue.
During your period of untreated hearing loss, you would have subconsciously started reading lips and visual cues to help you follow conversations. It is a good idea to enroll in a lipreading course to improve this skill.
Your audiologist can advise about other assistive technology that can improve communication in the workplace.
Let’s have a look at how you can use all these for better conversations in the workplace.
1.1 Communication best practices
Your first step is to teach your colleagues communication best practices. It involves visibility for reading lips and visual cues. Next, you need to control your environment by reducing background noise. Teach people to provide context, speak clearly, and allow regular pauses for processing information.
Repeat or summarise what they’ve said or ask clarifying questions to gather more information. Ask them to write down important details like phone numbers or email addresses.
Be patient. As much as you get frustrated with following conversations, your colleagues do from learning a new way of communication. However, these strategies help to improve communication for everyone.
I discuss communication best practices in detail in my book, Silent Courage: An Introvert’s Authentic Journey with Hearing Loss.
1.2 Technology
Written communication is your best friend. It gives you time to read and process, and reach out for missing or clarifying information.
Receiving the agenda before meetings provides context about discussion points and helps you to prepare. The minutes sent out afterwards help you catch missing information.
During in-person meetings you can use transcription apps or remote mics that stream to your Bluetooth-enabled hearing aids.
Zoom and many other platforms now support captioning. Ask your host beforehand to activate it for you. It can help other team members too.
Phone calls are an ongoing challenge. You can ask your audiologist to create a specific profile for this and use the speakerphone during calls. Ask the caller to send their contact details in a message, since it is something that is tricky to take down correctly.
Although there are apps and services available to transcribe phone calls, it carries privacy concerns. Additionally, they are not affordable for everyone. It is reasonable to request this as an accommodation from your employer.
2. Advocacy
Advocating for your needs is an ongoing process. Although people may be eager to accommodate you, building new communication habits takes time. You need to remind them of communication best practices, restate your needs, and acknowledge their efforts.
Ongoing advocacy is exhausting and needs patience and resilience. You deal with constant anxiety wondering how effective social interactions will be. Correcting people when they don’t accommodate you, needs diplomacy so that you don’t harm the relationship.
You also need to deal with people that refuse to accommodate you, or those that say they will, but don’t follow through. Self-care is crucial. You need to rest to recover your energy, and process your thoughts and feelings about these encounters.
I explore advocacy extensively in Module 4: Building Confidence in Advocacy of my course: Empowered & Heard: A Practical Course for Introverts With Hearing Loss.
Sources
SkillPath. (n.d.). Effective teamwork: 8 simple characteristics of a great team. SkillPath Blog.
Stay tuned for more insights!
This article is part of an ongoing series exploring key questions about introversion and hearing loss. In the next (and last) post, I’ll answer the following questions:
- How Can Introverts Reduce Distractions in a Noisy or Busy Work Environment to Stay Focused?
- How Can People With Hearing Loss Balance Work Demands With the Need for Rest and Recovery From Sensory Fatigue?
- How Can Introverts Enhance Their Focus and Efficiency by Managing Energy Levels and Minimising Distractions?
- How Can People With Hearing Loss Improve Their Focus and Efficiency by Using Assistive Devices or Adapting Their Workspaces?
Please be on the lookout for the next post in the series (every third week of the month), where I’ll answer another set of questions.
Curious about the rest of the series?
You can explore all the articles in 4 Questions & 4 Insights: Navigating Life as an Introvert with Hearing Loss
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