The HSP Revolution

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HSPs In The Workplace
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HSPs In The Workplace

Tips for managers looking to make the most of the high sensitivity in their team.

Dr Genevieve's avatar
Dr Genevieve
Mar 24, 2023
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I warmly welcome you to join The HSP Revolution online membership community — where I host two live workshops per month, post daily inspiration, and provide opportunities to share and connect.

Access to this weekly newsletter is now reserved primarily for community members. I will continue to send one edition per month free to all existing subscribers. To continue reading the whole newsletter each week, please do join us in the membership community, and gain access to workshops, daily inspiration and more!


Last week I spoke on a virtual panel aimed at sensitivity researchers, therapists coaches and others with an interest in high sensitivity organised by Professor Michael Pluess, a leading sensitivity expert at Queen Mary University of London.

So many questions came up about the workplace — and particularly on how managers can better support the 20-30 percent of the population who are highly sensitive. Since we were only able to address this area briefly in the panel, I thought I’d share some more developed thoughts — which I hope will be helpful to all Highly Sensitive People (HSPs), whether you’re a manager, a team member or work for yourself.

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HSPs At Work

High sensitivity can bring both joys and potential vulnerabilities in all domains of experience, and the workplace is no different.

In my experience of coaching HSPs, these are some of the positive attributes I typically see in a professional context:

  • Conscientiousness, dedication and commitment

  • Integrity and loyalty; HSPs stick to their word

  • Deep processors who can integrate a lot of detailed information

  • Thoughtful decision-makers

  • Adaptable

  • Capacity to pause and reflect before responding

  • Thorough researchers; enjoy precision and attention to detail

  • Complete tasks to a high standard and good at spotting errors and inconsistencies

  • Ability to focus on details that reveal connections others may miss

  • Visionary, strategic, big picture thinkers

  • Creative innovators and problem solvers

  • Highly intuitive, which supports decision making

  • Ability to say the right things at the right time

  • Highly developed relational skills, meaning they tend to be well-liked team members who can attune, listen,  empathize and see multiple perspectives

  • Collaborative and make great team players and leaders (or advisors to leaders)

  • Capacity to read subtle body language and micro facial expressions, and the first to notice if someone in the team is struggling

  • Thirst for knowledge and growth

Vulnerabilities may include a tendency towards:

  • Overwhelm

  • Overstimulation

  • Anxiety and stress

  • Pushing ourselves too hard and burning out

  • Sensitivity to environmental stimuli such as fluorescent lights; open plan offices; people talking on the phone; strong smells; caffeine

  • Becoming flooded by absorbing other people’s emotions, including stress

  • Tendency to take on too much due to struggling to set healthy boundaries, often linked to misplaced guilt about saying no

  • Placing unrealistic expectations on ourselves; harsh inner critic

  • Taking feedback too personally and dwelling on negatives

  • Prone to overthinking and rumination

With this balance of attributes and tendencies in mind, here are some tips designed to help managers support HSPs on their team to thrive.

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