9 Secrets Omniverts Use to Thrive in the Workplace

The omnivert personality can be a blessing in the workplace if you know how to use it to your advantage. Switching between introvert and extrovert gives you a superpower that can catapult your career. I’ve navigated the corporate and entrepreneurial landscapes and learned how to use my omnivert traits to progress, chase promotions, and build a successful career. Let me share these nine omnivert secrets for thriving in the workplace.

Not sure what an omnivert is? Find out: Am I an Omnivert?

1. Embrace Your Dual Personality

Excelling in a professional setting as an omnivert starts with accepting your omnivert nature. You are an introvert and an extrovert, and you may not always have control over which mode you are in. By recognizing whether you’re in introvert or extrovert mode, you’ll gain important insight, which will fuel your success with the tips below.

Secret 1

• Reflect on the times you felt introverted at work. What were you doing? Did something trigger it? Do the same for the times you felt extroverted.

I notice that I often feel most extroverted when I come back from lunch. I don’t know if it’s the calories, the fresh air, or just getting a break from the office, but I almost always come back wanting to be sociable.

2. Leverage Situational Adaptability

Once you recognize which side of your personality is most active, it’s time to start using it to your advantage! When you feel yourself, shift into introvert mode and start working on a task that requires some quiet focus, like writing or anything you’d do alone at your workstation.

Secret 2

• Keep a list of tasks and categorize them by introversion and extroversion. Then, as soon as you notice yourself moving toward one mode or the other, you can check your list for the perfect task to stay productive.

I block out my mornings for solo-focused work—usually writing. It’s the time that I work best alone, and it ensures that whatever else happens that day, I finish my most important tasks. On days when that’s not possible, like when someone knocks on my door wanting to discuss a new big project, I feel my energy drain fast, and by lunchtime, I’ve got nothing left to give. That’s why the following two tips are so important.

3. Schedule Downtime to Recharge During the WorkDay

You might not need it, but knowing that you have some quiet time scheduled between busy meetings, online calls, or client interactions can save your energy levels on days when you need to be on top of your game. Those times when you must force yourself to be outgoing and proactive with your team or your clients are when you need downtime.

Secret 3

Add downtime on your calendar so no one can schedule meetings with you then, and pick something from your “introvert list” to do.

4. Communicate Openly with Your Team About your Personality

Don’t hide who you are from your colleagues. Instead, tell them that you’re an omnivert and explain what an omnivert is. Being transparent with them will not only set expectations but might also encourage them to tell you how they like to work best—win-win! Collaborating effectively and being as productive as possible as a team means reducing misunderstandings and compromising to get the best out of everyone involved.

Secret 4

• Tell your colleagues you value teamwork but also need time for independent work so when you have headphones on (or some other sign) you’re trying to focus.

Wearing headphones is perfect for me, it tells people I’m not available and with active noise cancellation it lets me really focus in. I have a productivity playlist that supercharges me. The manager in the office opposite has a different approach, he turns his lights down and turns on a neon “On Air” sign. Everyone knows it means “Don’t disturb me.”

5. Utilize Your Natural Empathy Skills

An omnivert’s key skill is empathy. You understand introverts and can hang with outgoing guys in a team, too. You’re like a translator who speaks two languages, and sometimes, only you can bridge the personality divide. You can meditate in team settings to facilitate understanding and cooperation.

Secret 5

• When you see someone flagging after too much socializing, go help them out. Take some of the social burden and do some of the talking for them—they’ll remember you for it!

6. Seek Roles That Offer Variety

Positions requiring independent work and teamwork can be particularly satisfying for ambiverts and omniverts. However, be sure to avoid the worst jobs for introverts. They won’t work well for you either.

Secret 6

• Project management, consulting, and the creative industries are all solid choices for omniverts

7. Practice Self-Awareness and Adaptation

Assess your energy levels regularly and adjust your activities accordingly. If you subscribe to Getting Things Done or a similar productivity model, you’ll have a way of reviewing the aspects of your life and checking for balance – the Areas of Focus and your weekly reviews.

Keeping a journal is a great way to stay self-aware and check in with yourself every now and again. Studies have shown that Positive Affect Journaling “decreased mental distress and increased well-being relative to baseline.”

In that study, participants spent only 15 minutes, 3 days per week for 12 weeks, answering questions like “What are you thankful for?” and “What did someone else do for you?” in their journals.

Secret 7

• Look back through your journal: Are things getting better or worse?

8. Develop Strong Communication Skills

Everyone should focus on developing communication skills. They are perhaps the most valuable asset, and you can take them with you through life in everything you do.

Like most things, it’s not that hard as long as you work at it and are willing to take some criticism. It comes down to three things:

1. Active Listening
2. Clear and Concise Communication
3. Taking and Applying Constructive Criticism

Secret 8

• Avoid thinking about what you will say next while the other person is speaking.
• Summarize, paraphrase, or question key points to confirm understanding (e.g., “So you mean I should be…”).
• Organize your thoughts before speaking or writing. Outline the key points and objectives of your message. (This is only possible for communications you know will happen ahead of time—you’ve still gotta do it!)
• After presentations or important conversations, ask specific questions like, “Did I say that clearly enough?” or “Is there anything I could have explained better?”

9. Cultivate a Supportive Network

Surround yourself with friends and experienced mentors who understand and appreciate your unique strengths. Build relationships with introverted and extroverted individuals, but make sure to find yourself an omnivert or two, too.

Secret 9

• If you can’t find a mentor in real life, find one in a book. Find someone you respect and want to emulate, then read works they’ve written or biographies about them. Make sure you turn what you read into ACTION.

Know Yourself

Whether you’re an omnivert, a sigma male, or some other personality type, knowing yourself, knowing your natural strengths and abilities, and what you need to work on is the best way to progress in life and the workplace. The next step is building a personal development plan.