Being an Introvert

Many years ago I worked for a company that hired an outside consultant to help solve some personality conflicts between the employees. One of the crucial steps in this process was to identify everyone’s personality type using the Myers-Briggs testing. If you’ve ever had this done, you know exactly what I’m talking about. (Are you an ISFP? Maybe an ENFJ?) Eight years later, working for a different employer, I took the test again. I came up with the same results (I guess that’s good; I haven’t had a radical personality shift in the last 10 years). Without revealing my full type, I will say that I am a solid “I”. This means I land well into the Introvert zone. Does this mean I’m a mountain hermit with no social skills and I’m unable to deal with people? No. I like people and I get along well with a variety of folks.

So what does being an introvert mean? It has everything to do with how you get your energy from other people and how you process (and relay) information. Introverts are drained being around people. Extroverts, by comparison, get their energy from other people. I can certainly attest to this part of being an introvert. Even talking on the phone or sending emails drains me. When I’m in a group of people, say at a party, I usually focus on just a few people. Being in large crowds (at a show or at a parade for example) usually causes me to feel uncomfortable and I get tired quickly. By comparison, an extrovert will feel energized and excited after interacting with people.

As far as information processing goes, I do my best when I can concentrate on my work without constant interaction with other people. When I attend meetings, I generally listen and speak only when it is necessary. I process ideas in my head before ever opening my mouth. Extroverts will talk through an idea, sometimes to the point of repeating themselves. Get an introvert and an extrovert in the same meeting and you get a situation where the introvert wonders if the extrovert will ever be quiet and the extrovert wonders if the introvert has quit participating in the discussion. Without knowledge of personality types, this can lead to contention between people and slows progress on any project.

I saw this introvert/extrovert interaction at a few different places I worked, but one situation stands out in my mind. When I worked for a small material storage company in Atlanta, the owner was an extrovert. The CPA was an introvert. During meetings, they never seemed to agree. The owner would talk and talk and talk, but the CPA would say nothing (his body language, however, was very closed). He would start to say something but the meeting was already over; the owner’s attention was focused on the next project. After each meeting, they would end up confronting one another in their offices. She felt like he never listened to her and he felt slighted when his comments were ignored. Once the consultant came in and helped them realize their personality types, things were a bit smoother. After they learned how each personality type processed information, the owner was able to listen more and talk less, and the CPA was able to speak up more effectively so his ideas were heard and acknowledged.

This type of situation plays out in companies large and small. Being aware of your personality type is a big help when it comes to understanding how you process and interact with people, and how others do the same. If you haven’t heard of the Myers-Briggs test, read the book “Do What You Are” by Paul D. Tieger and Barbara Barron-Tieger (get the latest edition; I read the 2001 edition and loved it, and the newer edition has great reviews). This will explain the different personality types and give the reader an idea for which jobs are best aligned with that type. It may also come in handy next time your boss is talking circles around you and you need to get your point across.