What is introversion and extroversion?
First popularised by Carl Jung, the terms introversion and extroversion have been used to classify human behaviour for decades. Extroverts are seen as gregarious, talkative and energetic. Introverts prefer solitary time and exhibit reserved behaviour. Most models of personality, including the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, the Big Five model and Jung’s analytical psychology feature introversion and extraversion in some form. If you have no clue what you are, you can take this basic free test to give you some idea.
Extroversion and introversion are usually viewed as a single continuum; to be rated highly in one category suggests you would need to rate low on the other. However, Jung and Myers-Briggs suggest that most people can be both extroverted and introverted, with one dominating – like being left or right handed, but still able to use both. People can also change over time and don’t necessarily conform to a ‘type.’ Still, understanding which category you tend to favour can give you excellent insight into how you are perceived within a workplace environment. It can also be hugely beneficial to determine if you colleagues are introverts or extroverts.
The essential difference between the two is how you gain energy. Do you feel drained after making small talk with a room full of people? Or do you feel energised? It doesn’t mean you can’t network like a pro if you’re an introvert, but you might need to have a little lie down afterwards to refuel.
How does it affect your work?
It often appears that it’s an extrovert’s world. The social butterfly rules in a society where quiet introspection is often overlooked in favour of those who can shout the loudest. As a result, introverts can often fall by the wayside, failing to sell themselves highly enough in interviews for example; if you are an introvert, this is something you need to be aware of. But employers should try to look more deeply when they think they might be dealing with an introvert, because such people can make great employees.
Extroverts are full of the inspiration and energy required to lead a team, yet can often miss important details. If you’re an extroverted manager, allocating specific time to each of your employees to allow them to express their ideas could be the best way forward for your team. Asking for a written set of ideas could also help you get the best out of your introverted employee.
In the workplace, the extroverts often have the upper hand. Job ads are littered with the ability to be a ‘people person’ and certainly in the arts, where networking and communication are essential parts of a position, extroverts are already streets ahead.
Susain Cain, the author of Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, writes that introverts can often be highly sensitive people, which can also make them great artists.
‘The highly sensitive [introverted] tend to be philosophical or spiritual in their orientation, rather than materialistic or hedonistic. They dislike small talk. They often describe themselves as creative or intuitive. They dream vividly, and can often recall their dreams the next day. They love music, nature, art, physical beauty. They feel exceptionally strong emotions – sometimes acute bouts of joy, but also sorrow, melancholy, and fear. Highly sensitive people also process information about their environments – both physical and emotional – unusually deeply. They tend to notice subtleties that others miss – another person’s shift in mood, say, or a lightbulb burning a touch too brightly,’ she writes.
‘The secret to life is to put yourself in the right lighting. For some, it’s a Broadway spotlight; for others, a lamplit desk. Use your natural powers – of persistence, concentration, and insight – to do work you love and work that matters. Solve problems. Make art, think deeply.’
Collaboration and the best role for you
Where the difference between introverts and extroverts can be most pertinent is in a collaborative open environment. Here, extroverts thrive, but introverts tend to falter, often preferring instead to work by themselves. US President Barack Obama is thought to be an introvert, and has faced criticism for it, coming across as distant and aloof, with his detractors suggesting that he doesn’t like people. This is something that all introverts need to be conscious of, because while they like people just as much as anyone else, their inability to shout it from the roof could be misconstrued as coldness.
Obama joins the likes of Einstein, Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, Mahatma Gandhi, Eleanor Roosevelt, Charles Darwin, JK Rowling, and Rosa Parks; all famous introverts who demonstrate that despite their ‘reclusive’ demeanour, such individuals can and do make great leaders, but they will do things slightly differently to their extroverted colleagues.
Cain writes, ‘I worry that there are people who are put in positions of authority because they’re good talkers, but they don’t have good ideas. It’s so easy to confuse schmoozing ability with talent. Someone seems like a good presenter, easy to get along with, and those traits are rewarded. Well, why is that? They’re valuable traits, but we put too much of a premium on presenting and not enough on substance and critical thinking.’
It’s an excellent point, and one that can be helpful to take heed of in the workplace. Feel charmed by someone? Maybe take a moment to ask some more analytical questions. Feel like someone was a little understated, or didn’t ‘want’ a job enough – maybe give them a second interview or take that little bit longer to get to know them until they come out of their shell.
Extroverts and introverts are essential to a harmonious workplace, getting the best out of them just takes a little understanding.
