Every workforce or team is a mix of people with different skills, experiences, and attitudes. One combination you’ll find is the mixture of introverts and extroverts. How well they blend together depends on you.
It starts with knowing whom you’re dealing with.
Introverts tend to be reflective, rehearsing and thinking through what they want to do and say before taking action. They tend to be quiet, dislike interruptions, and prefer direct communication that gets right to the point without chit-chat.
Extroverts are usually talkative and like to think out loud; they share their opinions easily, enjoy social interaction, adjust quickly to interruptions, and prefer to work and generate ideas in a team.
Of course, few people are completely one way or the other, so don’t jump to conclusions about what an employee wants just because he or she seems to be an extrovert. To manage and motivate them effectively, try these ideas:
· Communicate with your introverts in writing. This gives them time to process your message and think about how to respond or carry out your instructions.
· Assign extroverts to interactive tasks. They’ll be more eager to make presentations, train new employees, and plan events with a group for your department or organization.
· Manage meetings carefully. Extroverts may tend to dominate meetings even though they don’t necessarily mean to shut anyone out. Make a point of encouraging everyone to speak so introverts get a chance to contribute.
· Exercise and encourage patience. If you’re an extrovert yourself, you may sometimes grow frustrated by introverts on your staff who need more time to think things through. Unless you’re dealing with a serious emergency, slow your pace a bit so you don’t discourage anyone from sharing ideas and contributing. And make sure your employees respect each other’s styles, whatever they are, to avoid conflict and misunderstandings.
All the Success!
Peter Mclees
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