Under Promise and Over Deliver – Ban “I’ll have it to you tomorrow.”

As an introvert, you’ve no doubt heard the words “I’ll have that to you tomorrow” come out of your mouth, all the while you’re secretly thinking, “How am I going to manage that?” A lot of introverts feel the need to prove themselves with their work, because they’re not always proving themselves by talking hard and fast in meetings, or splashing their achievements all over billboards, so we want to make sure we’re delivering above and beyond. Let’s just all agree to ban the words “I’ll have that to you tomorrow” from our vocabulary, and replace them with “I’ll confirm delivery date via email after this meeting, to make sure I’m giving you realistic timeframes,” or something along those lines. Don’t be pushed into giving a timeframe in a meeting, because you’ll undoubtedly overpromise and then have to make an apologetic phone call or stay up into the wee hours of the night to make the deadline. Once you’re on your own and have had time to go over all the elements of the project, check your calendar, then send back a timely email to the client or to your boss.

It’s also important to keep everything in writing. Since we tend to say, “Oh sure! That’s fine,” or are quick to agree to new terms, it’s better to get everything confirmed via email so that if there is a conflict or midunderstanding you’ll be able to sort it out quickly.

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If there is one tip you take away, it is that you need to manage your meetings. Do not let them manage you! Here is how we do it:

– Have a standing meeting. Things will get done quicker, and you’re not sitting at a desk all day, which has health implications in itself!

– Don’t go to any meeting that doesn’t have an agenda. No agenda, nobody has thought through whether there is actually a point to the meeting. It doesn’t need to be delivered as a formal document, but an agenda does need to be written down.

– Who says meetings have to go for an hour? Schedule 10-minute meetings, if that is all it takes to see results.

– Specify days and weeks that are client-meeting days, and stick to it. You will get none of your actual work done if your days are interrupted with conversations for which you have to spend all your time to prepare.

– Having an “out” is key. Plan back-to-back meetings, wear a watch or casually let your clients know you have somewhere to be in the next hour. You will avoid small talk and will get things done!.

In my life so far, I have built a start-up digital media platform from scratch to rolling out in three cities, worked with international education institutions, been a consultant to multi-million dollar ecommerce boutiques and started my own marketing consulting business, Claire Deane Marketing, at the beginning of 2014, (which is how I met kindred introverted spirit, Allie!).

I also have my best ideas when I’m at home with my three dogs and two cats, the phone is off, and I’m pounding away on my MacBook, listening to an amazing TED talk or hanging out on my yoga mat in “downward dog” position…

If I’m asked to think on my feet, one half of my brain will be answering the question posed to me, and the other half will be running an inner-commentary (known as meta thinking) on the number of times I have repeated the word “basically,” the perceived impact of my words on the listener, or telling me I probably have lipstick on my teeth. Don’t get me wrong, I’m smart and have pretty strong opinions when it comes to providing advice to my clients, but I need to make sure what I’m telling them has been looked at from all angles, rather than being off-the-cuff, impulsive and something that I potentially have to back track after further analysis down the road. Introverts need to process information internally before they are ready to share their thoughts or ideas.

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Let’s rewind to 1995. I found myself standing over my best friends’ mom at 2am as she slept soundly. Yes, it really was as creepy as it sounds. I found myself fighting back tears but I had to tell her that I needed to go home. As she awoke and heard my request, she sweetly put on her bathrobe and walked me across the street to my parents’ home while my friends stared out the window.

Back in 1995, I was labeled “the girl who got homesick.” Fast forward to present day and I now identify myself as an introvert. That sudden panic still hits me in my late 20’s but I’m not homesick for anything but time to myself. Interestingly enough, I’m not a hermit or anti-social. I can carry a conversation quite boisterously, attend networking events and charm a crowd. I launched my own business full-time in 2012 and have serviced over 100 clients around the world, within the past two years. I manage our contractors virtually, spend time traveling to humanize my online relationships and am constantly connected to our clients via email or Skype.

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