Introverts & Extroverts - Working Better Together

It’s easy to mistake extroverted behaviour for confidence or competence. But this assumption can do both extroverts and introverts an injustice – and means that people can get overlooked.

It’s entirely possible for an extrovert to be shy, for example, and for an introvert to be a highly competent leader. In fact, the majority of effective leaders tend to display more introverted behaviours and preferences.

These are just some of the topics I was lucky enough to discuss with Jo Bromilow, Hannah Devoy and Mary Paslawski for a State of Us event last week. They had such a wealth of experience to share.

The event wasn’t recorded so here are some snippets for anyone wanting to better understand themselves and the make-up of their team.

Talk – and listen!

One style of working does not fit all. So, if you’re a leader, make time to talk to your team members about how they communicate and work best.

Be self-aware.

You may not have thought about whether you’re an introvert or an extrovert. You might be a mix of both. But it’s good to think about what your strengths are and be clear about what you bring to the party. Additionally, can you look for good role models and see how they do it?

Consider your thinking style.

Think about how you process information and react. Do you jump straight in and use others as a sounding board? Or do you like time to reflect and react in your own time? Considering this may be more helpful than labelling yourself an introvert or extrovert.

Take small steps.

If you’ve been told you need to “speak up more”, you’re not the first to hear it! I see people all the time in training who have been given the same instruction. There’s loads I could write on this but I advise taking small steps first. Speak up on a “safe” call first. Ask if you can co-host an internal brainstorm. The more you do, the easier it gets.

Thanks for inviting me to such a useful discussion!

State of Us is a mental health network created for comms professionals, by comms professionals, to unite on mental health and change the industry.