Is there someone in your office who is warm, emotional and sometimes easily upset? Do they work best when there are no distractions, are creative in finding solutions and are sometimes distracted by ‘little’ things that others would not notice?
Or do you fit that description yourself? (take the test) If so, chances are that ’tis a highly sensitive person - and perhaps this is the biggest asset your company has.
High sensitivity in the workplace
What does it really mean to be highly sensitive?
Simply put, high sensitivity means that your brain more information more thorough process. The result is that an hsp-er is more involved in small changes in the environment, including the emotions of others. It also means they tend to process their own experiences very deeply - highly sensitive people are known to be thoughtful, careful decision-makers, as well as strong feeling people.
In fact, it turns out that physical sensitivity and emotional sensitivity are in many ways the same trait. They are so closely related that if you take paracetamol for dull physical pain, you will score lower on an empathy test until the drug wears off.
Read here; what is a high sensitive person
Remarkability is a typical characteristic
Of course, we are all sensitive to some extent. But sensitivity exists on a continuum, and some people are more sensitive than others. At least 20% of people are wired to be highly sensitive, and their minds are like powerful processors that absorb everything around them.
Psychologists consider high sensitivity a normal, healthy trait, and in many ways it shows the best parts of what makes us human. In the workplace, however, these highly sensitive people (HSPs) are often seen as a burden - despite the enormous hidden strengths that sensitive employees bring to the table.
Highly sensitive employees are undervalued
Ask a high-sensitive person what it is like to be sensitive in their work and you will get very revealing answers. You will then see some typical situations;
- hsp-ers discover faults that others miss,
- they see changes coming long before they happen,
- it's like they “read” customers like books.
The fact that they are sensitive to small clues gives them an edge that can sometimes seem uncanny. Highly sensitive employees are also often among the most creative members of their teams.
Read here: the talents of highly sensitive employees
The need for more time and space
Instead of encouraging these qualities, however, many highly sensitive employees find that their managers focus on the drawbacks. Because they process information so deeply, hsp-ers usually need some extra time to think about things before starting a new task. For the same reason, they experience extra stress from overly tight deadlines.
Without coaching, highly sensitive employees may find it difficult to deal with conflict - whether that is a colleague chewing gum too hard or a campaign fight with a competitor. These are all things that sensitive people can overcome with support and guidance, but this is rarely offered. Instead, they are told to ‘harder‘ to become ‘grow thicker skin‘.
