No HR person complains about extroverted employees. You know the types: friendly, talkative, and often volunteer to organize events. Get noticed. They are better at self-promotion than most people.
Extroverts are happy to tell you why they are the best employees, but are they always? It is an irreplaceable existence for employees.
Often times, the shy, quiet employees (those who stay in the shadows and refuse to acknowledge their efforts) contribute the most in terms of technical expertise. Managing the quiet can be difficult. But so does managing a more overt extrovert.
extroversion and introversion
Influential Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung introduced the terms introversion and extroversion into psychology. He believed that extroversion “tends to be gregarious, talkative and energetic, whereas introversion is more introverted and reserved.”
Extroverts are typically enthusiastic people who enjoy socializing and seek out novel experiences. They want to interact with other people and can become bored or anxious if they spend too much time alone.
Extroverts: Rechargeable batteries “power up” when you’re near other people
Extroverts prefer a full schedule, especially when meetings and other social occasions are jam-packed. They may be considered “life of the party,” but they often frustrate introverts who find it difficult to tolerate extroverted energy.
Extroverts can be thought of as pack animals (introverts are lone wolves). But be careful with employee classifications. Some people are better defined as “ambiverts,” whose personalities display both introverted and extroverted traits. Instead, think in terms of the spectrum.
energy drain
Try to see extroverts as people with rechargeable batteries that “power up” when you’re near other people. Extroverts seem to derive their energy simply from interacting with other people. Introverts, by contrast, may experience an “energy drain” from such interactions.
No HR person complained about extroverted employees
Introverts may express feelings of energy drain from interacting with others, but many are unable to articulate this. The battery analogy should be kept in mind when planning activities. Which employees seem to be “recharging” in group situations, and which ones seem to have their batteries sinking into the red zone?
training exercises
Many companies conduct group training. This is a great way to see which employees are more outgoing. They talk to other employees, volunteer to set up teams, and organize group activities.
Extroverts enjoy social work moments like this, but remember that introverts might see it as a form of torture. is important to remember this. Don’t make your efforts a showcase for extroverts just because they visibly enjoy group activities. The goal is to include everyone in the group.
Not all introverts are lonely, but they may seem that way. Some people simply prefer to mingle with a limited group of people they know well, rather than chit-chat with a bunch of strangers at a party (or co-workers at a group exercise). These guys may feel that they are recharging their mental batteries while alone. After interacting with others.
manage extroverts
Too many HR managers think extroverts can manage themselves well. When faced with a group of employees who mostly talk monotonously and avoid eye contact, they are more likely to gravitate towards the more gregarious members of the group. The charm is simple. They chat with real people in real life, alleviating the artificial strain of face-to-face or online meetings.
But if we consider introverts to be antisocial, we must think that they have evolved “antisocial behavior” as part of their extroversion. Because they want to transform their shyness into a more version of themselves, extroverts have all sorts of “ice-breaking” techniques. There is a nature.
Group work planning
Some employees prefer to work independently, while others prefer social collaboration with colleagues. Remember there is no “right” way to approach a job. Both introverts and extroverts have strengths and weaknesses.
Extroverts at work are excited about group work because it allows them to include others in the brainstorming process. They are great at motivating the people around them, and their participation in group work can enhance group performance and overall employee satisfaction.
Also, collaboration exercises favor extroverts by default. Interacting with colleagues, sharing goals, endless brainstorming, and exchanging ideas with each other is a dream environment for many. However, extroverts can become bored and frustrated when they have to work on a project.
HR professionals should analyze extroverted employees’ strengths as well as their weaknesses. Collaboration exercises should consider the skill sets and preferences of all employees. It doesn’t matter where you are on the introvert/extrovert spectrum.
This article is the sixth in a series on effective collaboration techniques for cybersecurity.
Stefan Hammond is a contributing editor for CDOTrends. Best his practices, IoT, payment gateways, robotics, and the ongoing fight against cyber pirates pique his interest.you can contact him [email protected].
Image credit: iStockphoto/Kudryavtsev Pavel
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