This can make thinking on the spot and dealing with surprises or unforeseen risks a challenge for HSPs, but there are ways managers can help mitigate these difficulties and draw out their strengths. “While the person’s brain may be taking in 1000 pieces of information at any one time, a highly sensitive person’s brain is taking in 100,000,” says Wilding. Taking in minute details, including other people’s emotions, can sometimes leave them feeling exhausted and stressed. While HSPs are blessed with many beneficial attributes, life isn’t always easy for them. Challenges for HSPs and how managers can help It found that the top five most in-demand skills until at least 2026 will be human-centred skills, including communication, customer service, leadership, attention to detail and collaboration. Research from multinational publishing and education company Pearson analysed more than 21 million job ads from the US, UK, Canada and Australia. HSPs are likely to become more important in an increasingly digitised world. That’s a tremendous advantage – if people are listening to them. “And, because HSPs are very diplomatic and understand people’s motivations, they’re great at building rapport with clients or stakeholders. “I can’t tell you how many of my highly sensitive clients have been responsible for recognising that somebody’s not fully engaged and turning that around before they lose them. “They’re good at trying to find a resolution and harmony in a team, and at spotting opportunities or risks that other people may miss, all of which makes them excellent leaders,” says Wilding. Translating this into a work environment in the 21st century, Wilding says HSPs think before they speak, are strong negotiators, can pick up on subtle cues and read a room, and often see situations from a variety of different perspectives. “While the person’s brain may be taking in 1000 pieces of information at any one time, a highly sensitive person’s brain is taking in 100,000.” – Melody Wilding, workplace success and executive coach. “It was very helpful back in prehistoric days to have people who didn’t just run into danger, but who were considered and read a situation before thinking critically about their next steps.” “High sensitivity actually serves a very important evolutionary purpose,” says Wilding. How highly sensitive people can benefit the workplaceĪs a society we often fail to understand that people with an ability to feel everything deeply can offer huge benefits to those around them. We have to expand our understanding of neurodiversity to accept all differences and high sensitivity is one of them.”Ĭurrent research estimates that HSPs make up 20-35 per cent of the population, and are evenly split between genders. Wilding adds that high sensitivity is not a disorder, a character defect or a weakness. In its definition of a highly sensitive person, Psychology Today borrows from psychologist Elaine Aron, who describes HSPs as those who “display increased emotional sensitivity, stronger reactivity to both external and internal stimuli – pain, hunger, light and noise – and a complex inner life.” “Sensitivity is very misunderstood,” says Wilding. “And nothing could be further from the truth, because to be sensitive, to process everything deeply, to feel the world in a profound way, takes a lot of energy and strength. “We tend to think of sensitive people as soft, fragile people who need to be handled with kid gloves,” says workplace success and executive coach and author Melody Wilding. Put more simply, just because you feel emotions deeply, it doesn’t mean you can’t control them. Often managers see having a highly sensitive person (HSP) on their team as a burden to overcome.īut, contrary to popular belief, high sensitivity isn’t necessarily linked to emotional reactivity. But research suggests that, when managed appropriately, highly sensitive employees can be a real asset to an organisation and can become incredible leaders.įor those of us who feel things deeply, we are told at a young age to stop being so sensitive, stop taking everything so personally and grow a thicker skin.Īs we grow up, we may get similar feedback from our managers or colleagues in the workplace, who tell us to stop letting our emotions show. The world is full of judgement for highly sensitive people.
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