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The days are long gone when employees were seen and not heard. Workplaces today value participation and recognize the power that many minds can bring to different situations.

For quiet employees the methods used to encourage participation can be quite daunting. Brainstorming sessions suit people who like to think out loud and bounce ideas around. Some people have a more introspective style of operating and the loud, participatory workplace can make them shrink into the furthest corner of the room.

Having an introspective style creates unique difficulties. It is hard to think clearly amid the noise' of a group. Often when they do wish to contribute quiet employees are overpowered by the more extroverted participants and their contribution will be missed entirely.

Because they are deferential, others often interpret their style as an unwillingness to participate. Eventually they begin to be excluded as they cannot conform to the group's style.

The first thing you can do to bring out the best in these employees is to educate all your employees about the different styles and preferences for operating that occur naturally. There are some fairly sophisticated profiling tools which can be used as part of a workshop designed to get the team to better understand each other. Myers Briggs and DISC are two common tools used widely across the globe.

Once the team understands that contributions can come in all shapes and sizes, you can create opportunities in the design of team gatherings to let everyone contribute regardless of their style.

In addition to group interaction, build in opportunities for individual thought. A variation on brainstorming is to have each individual write their ideas on sticky notes. They do this in isolation. All the sticky notes are then posted on the wall and discussion and debate begins.

Use role plays, or smaller groups in session work and provide each person with a specific role to undertake. This will overcome the problem of quiet people being overpowered in a free for all.

Think about rotating the chair in your team meetings. This helps develop all team members but quiet members in particular will learn from the experience of taking control and leading the group.

Bringing out the best in a quiet employee is not about changing their behavior. To bring out their best you need to create an environment that supports their participation and encourages their development in a way that suits their style.

Learn more about this author, Marie Hurley.
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