As a manager, being able to understand the different personalities and preferences of your colleagues is key to creating a high-performing team. It’s vital to know each person well enough to be able to then harness their unique skills & strengths for the benefit of the individual as well as the wider team and organisation. However, it’s this very uniqueness that can also make it challenging to bring these different personalities together to work as a cohesive team. By having a deep understanding of the individual characters within your team, you are then enabled to work effectively with them at both a personal level and to gather them together as a collective unit.
One such personality type for managers to be aware of is the ‘hyper-sensitive’ individual. Hyper-sensitive personalities are more likely to feel things deeply, both the highs and lows, so they will benefit from having strategies to effectively navigate any low points. There can be some common challenges experienced within the workplace that managers need to be aware of so that they can provide the right support to enable their colleagues to thrive at work and perform at their best. Hyper-sensitive people are of great value because their increased sensitivity promotes deeper levels of insight and awareness of others’ needs, they demonstrate great levels of empathy, are highly emotionally intelligent, thoughtful and attentive. Therefore they are often able to cultivate strong working relationships. Managers should seek to harness these great skills.
Here are 5 top tips for managers to support hyper-sensitive colleagues in the office by Claire Brown, a highly qualified life & career coach.
Communicate in a clear & timely manner
Hyper-sensitive individuals can be susceptible to burnout and overwhelm, so set clear expectations and communicate clearly. Where possible, avoid any spur of the moment surprise additions to their work load and provide plenty of advance warning so they can manage themselves effectively. Encourage them not to commit to overly hectic schedules.
Encourage them to assert their needs
For those with hyper-sensitivity it can be difficult to instil boundaries and to say no to others’ requests because of their great awareness of others people’s needs and the fear of the potential relational fall out, so find ways to encourage them to vocalise their own needs in the office.
Create a calm working environment & limit distractions
Hyper-sensitive personalities use a lot of mental energy through deep analysis, critique and consideration of all aspects when approaching a project, making a decision or solving a problem, so they need time to decompress. Create a quiet, calm and comfortable working environment for them to reflect and focus in. If you have an open plan office, source a desk in a corner for them or enable them to work from home where possible. Provide headphones or any other practical tool to help limit distractions and interruptions.
Provide positive feedback
There can be a tendency towards social comparison for some with hyper-sensitivity. This results in self-doubt, confidence issues and they are often their own worst critic. So, take the opportunity to encourage them and provide positive feedback with specific examples of work done well.
Create a safe space
Because of the extreme highs and lows experienced by someone with hypersensitivity, there will likely be occasions when they have an emotional reaction that might be unexpected or seem excessive given the situation. If your staff member begins to cry, make it ok for them. Embrace a working culture that’s comfortable with expressing emotions and model that to your wider team.
