Saturday February 23, 2013
By PREMA JAYABALAN
prema.jayabalan@leaderonomics.com
Introverts are calm, organised, balanced, independent and can think thoroughly
Did you know that Oscar-award winning actress Julia Roberts and the charismatic President of the United States Barack Obama are introverts? Or that famous philosopher Socrates and renowned inventor Benjamin Franklin were extroverts to the core? Well, this just goes to show that being an introvert does not necessarily mean that you are confined to careers that do not put you in the limelight and extroverts are only good at networking and cannot do things which entail being in solitude.
Today, an organisation strives on having employees who are both introverts and extroverts. It may be an extroverted world where every organisation wants to be known and heard of but keeping a balance between both personalities is the only way to sustain a strong and well-built establishment.
INTROVERTS
People may often perceive introverted individuals as the ones who find it hard to socialise, which they feel can be a negative thing but this is certainly not the case. In fact, there are a number of advantages in having introverts in an organisation:
1 A Calm Demeanour
Introverts are known to be calm people and automatically have a calming effect on those around them. This comes in very handy when an organisation is facing a crisis. Having these people helps ease tension faced and get the others to mellow down. Once the situation is brought under control, then practical and solvable solutions can be thought of easily in order to rectify the situation. Introverts also tend to keep people grounded which helps when the going gets chaotic.
2 Perfect Organisers
Being calm and having the ability to think things through thoroughly more than twice or thrice shows that introverts are much better organised than their counterparts – the extroverts. These people tend to give their full attention to even the smallest of details without missing anything unlike people who are more focused on talking up everyone and easily missing out on small details. If these introverts are the types to bring up these matters when the situation requires, then this can bring upon a huge difference to an organisation and also determine the success and failures of future projects.
3 Thorough Thinkers
Introverts take a lot of time when it comes to thinking issues through. They are likely to think through the different scenarios that may crop up in a situation, thus sudden surprises, disasters and upsets are far less likely to be faced by introverts. They are able to provide their bosses with various ways to handle a situation when a crisis arises. Thorough thinking through means everything is dealt with in a serious manner.
4 Independent
Most people rely heavily on others when it comes to making decisions, for emotional support and even finances. However, this is less likely to happen to introverts. Reason being, their personality enables them to have the capability to wade through life by relying primarily on themselves.
This is because they do not have the habit of asking others for help and assistance. This attitude may be unhealthy if taken too far, nevertheless, it is definitely an advantage for many as it hones their independence and ability to be good problem-solvers. This is a trait that they bring on to work as they are able to solve problems faced by the organisation independently without having to rely on others for help.
5 Have A Balanced Viewpoint
Having the attitude of not saying much, introverts usually sit back and listen as they are known to be great observers. Therefore, others tend to forget that they are there. But in reality, they are present and are absorbing every bit of information.
Their trait gives them the advantage of being likely to see and analyse both sides of an argument and if asked, to come up with sensible solutions which will satisfy both parties. They are also sensitive towards those who are less confident. Introverts have the ability to cater to every one’s opinions and double up as peace makers as well.
EXTROVERTS
Extroverts are responsive to others, adore crowds, consider everybody as friends, love and adapt to variety and are fantastic networkers
Known to be the centre of attention on any occasion, extroverts are outgoing, friendly and sociable people who are loud and always make sure that their thoughts and opinions are heard by all. Having these people in an organisation is equally advantageous as extroverts:
1 Respond To Others
Extroverts are responsive to others. They tend to adapt well to their stakeholders, superiors, colleagues and their work environment. They are highly receptive towards others. They do well in the sales, marketing and communications departments. The ability to respond well to others and to get their attention comes in handy when meeting with existing clients and potential customers.
They are able to charm their way to get things settled quickly. They also tend to be well-liked by clients. This attribute even helps them in easing situations that are tense, especially when in meetings and discussions. They can chill out the atmosphere when things get heated up.
2 Adore Crowds
These people strive to be among a crowd. They are a people’s person and need to have lots of people surrounding them, most of the time. They are comfortable in groups and are happiest when given attention. When it comes to meetings and discussion on projects, they tend to freely voice out their opinions and thoughts without any reluctance.
This may be good as some effective and sound solutions may be dispersed by them through this trait of theirs. They love community events, social gatherings and company events as they involve interaction with people.
3 Consider All as Friends
Extroverts are people who consider everyone, even their colleagues as friends. For them, everyone in their organisation is their friend and they tend to get along well with all. They love chatting with all and always ask about everyone’s well-being.
This puts a smile on others as it delights them. Extroverts are known to create harmony in the office. They greet all, from the CEO of the office to the cleaner lady and the security guard. They are good at networking and keeping everyone feeling important and appreciated.
4 Love Variety And Adapt Well
Extroverts love variety and love dabbling with many things at one time. They like an ongoing process of people, tasks and work environments which makes them adaptable to any situation.
Thus, they are able to handle all types of sudden occurrence in the organisation and settle matters well without any inhibition. Surprises do not scare them but rather get them more interested and take on the challenge of settling them.
5 Fantastic Networkers
Always thriving on interaction and communicating, extroverts are excellent at networking. They do not wait to be introduced but rather introduce themselves and get the ball rolling in any events and functions. They are good at getting others to come out of their shells and talk about their dealings and businesses. They are effective in bringing in new clients and businesses to the organisation due to their networking abilities.
Their lists of resources are also very long and they will have people in their list for any type of services needed by their organisations. They are also able to negotiate good prices for their organisations since they have the gift of gab and can be very good at persuading others to comply with their needs and requirements. When it comes to cost-cutting for the organisation, they come in really handy.
Each organisation that aims at achieving the best, needs to have a balance of introverts and extroverts in its team. Both these personality types complement each other very well when they are in the right setting. There are times when introverts come to an extrovert’s aid and vice versa. A healthy balance between the two groups is crucial towards the success of an organisation.
Introverts:
· Care about their job and their organisation
· Concentrate well in quiet atmospheres
· May know more than they reveal
· Have very good attention to details
· Love to handle long and complex problems
· May seem aloof and quiet
· Dislike interruptions and intrusions
· Work well with little supervision
· Always think and reflect before taking action
· Do not like to attract attention to themselves
Extroverts:
· Always keep abreast of what is happening at work
· Formulate good ideas through discussions and interactions
· Socialise and network well
· Have excellent communication and verbal skills
· Love to be a part of everything
· Get bored and impatient when work gets slow and repetitive
· Are fantastic at marketing themselves and their organisation
· Thrive on attention
· Are good at multi-tasking
· Respond quickly to requests and always aim to find quick solutions
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