Hi, I’m Camille and I’m an extrovert. (Hi, Camille.) I confess that from time to time I’ve overlooked the talents that introverts have to offer. I’m reforming.
On a recent flight, I read Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain. I picked it up because in my work to maximize team performance I’m constantly looking for insights to have the more quiet members contribute. Why? Because I know quiet people are smart and insightful and we need to stop talking long enough to hear them.
Consider some of Cain’s findings:
- It’s a spectrum: no person is a pure introvert or pure extrovert.
- Our culture has a bias for talkers, against non-talkers. Introverts are often passed over for leadership roles.
- One-third to one-half of the population is introverts. If we don’t listen to them, we lose their intelligence!
- Solitude is essential for creativity.
- Steve Wozniak (inventor of 1st Apple) worked alone in his HP cubicle; states he never would have become an expert if he hadn’t been too introverted to leave his house when growing up.
- Theodor Geisel (Dr. Seuss) spent days ensconced in his private bell tower, rarely ventured out to meet young readers, fretting that kids would expect an outspoken Cat in the Hat-like figure and would be disappointed by his reserved personality.
To validate what I’d read, I recently asked a dinner companion if she was an introvert or extrovert. “I’m an introvert who’s had to force myself to be an extrovert. I learned early that I had to speak up or I would be passed over. It took a lot of energy to do this. It always felt like I was betraying myself. I did it so I could have more of an influence on our organization, but, it was tiring.”
| Introvert | Extrovert |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cain illustrated how soft-spoken, self-described introverts – Eleanor Roosevelt, Rosa Parks, Gandhi – took the spotlight because they were driven by their commitment to make a difference and do what they thought was right, not because they loved the attention. This validated my experience in working with thousands of people around the world: Our commitment to contribute can supersede our preferences, pull us out of our comfort zones, pull us through difficult situations to achieve meaningful, purpose-filled goals.
To support all your folks to make their contribution and share their talent and insights:
- Create time and space for reflection and solitude. (For ex., 1 no-talk afternoon a week)
- Invite quiet people to lead; then, let them lead in their own way.
Listen to Cain’s stimulating Cain’s TEDTalk. If you’d like to share your story as an introvert, I promise to be quiet and listen. Whether you’re an introvert or an extrovert, or a little of both, take an online assessment to improve your communication, performance and, most of all, your satisfaction!
This is one of many articles by Camille Smith that truly resonated with me. Camille references a book written by Susan Cain titled: Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking.The fundamental contention is that introverts shouldn’t compromise their capacity for original thought and quiet brainstorming in favor of socially acceptable, extroverted working styles. I am an introvert and am often misunderstood. I get this a lot: Be more assertive, speak up more, be more outgoing, or the biggest question, “Why are you so quiet?”
Recently on a work application, I was asked to take a Plum Assessment. It is a discovery survey to gauge your personality, social intelligence, and problem-solving ability. This is an indication of whether or not you will be a good fit for the role for which you are seeking. I was very pleased with the overall results and would fare very well in that role; however, in the Work Style segment, it stated that I was likely to be introverted and reserved.
The takeaway and application as a Project Manager, Scrum Master Agile Coach, or any position that manages a group, is not to discount the more quiet and reserved team members. Whether a team member is introverted or extroverted, a sincere appreciation of each other makes a team a real team.
Thank you, Camille Smith, I’m ok. We introverts aren’t necessarily weird. We’re just different, and being different isn’t always a bad thing.