[Jewelry making - Article 00330] - Re: [Orchid] The Treasure's Trove

[karen]

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All,

    Continuing with this thread, I append an article my husband sent to
    me regarding the differences between introverts and extroverts.  My
    husband being the introvert, and me the extrovert, found spooky
    parallels with the descriptions found in this article.  While I
    usually don't read such lengthy ones on the Orchid List, I did find
    this one very interesting. Apologies to Hanuman for the bandwith. 

-k

    http://www.sdmagazine.com/

          Ins and Outs at Work 
          Personality type is key to clear communication. 

          Years ago, our entire research group went through a
          psychometric profiling class that characterized, via a
          sophisticated questionnaire, our preferred communication style
          and behavior. We were slotted in one of four classes, depending
          on our scores to determine how "blindsided" we were to other
          communication styles. As a group of extremes, communication was
          not our strong point-nor was it a priority. Therein lay the
          problem, and management was wise enough to do something about
          it, providing us with tools to facilitate greater sensitivity
          to and recognition of different personality styles, aiming to
          foster better communication within the group. Light bulbs
          glowed, and a genuine bridging attempt followed. It wasn't
          easy, but we did develop a clearer understanding of why people
          act the way they do. 

          This technique has worked well for me over the years; when I
          noticed that Naomi Karten, author of several books addressing
          communication gaps in the workplace, was presenting "Introverts
          and Extroverts in the Workplace" at SD Best Practices, I had to
          sit in. 

          The goal? Classic Communication 101: understanding the ways
          personality type influences how, when and what we communicate.
          After eliciting the group's stereotypical comments about each
          other, including "Introverts yell at their PCs, and extroverts
          yell at each other" and "Extroverts need a soundboard, while
          introverts need a whiteboard," Karten went on to detail the
          biological and physiological basis of introversion and
          extroversion. 

          Karten, a self-professed introvert, characterized her
          classification as you might expect: inward rather than outward,
          seeking inner stimulation, reaching understanding from quiet
          reflection rather than interaction and discussion with others.
          Introverts lose energy through interactions; extroverts gain
          it. Introverts think before acting, refining and rehearsing
          their ideas before speaking them. Extroverts act, then
          think-often out loud to express themselves to the world.
          Introverts are private, reserved and reflective, preferring to
          communicate in writing rather than in spoken form, choosing
          one-on-one or small group interaction. They'd rather stay home
          than go to a party, need abundant time to recharge, finding it
          disruptive for people to stop by at work, and enjoying solving
          problems on their own. Extroverts-you guessed it-are just the
          opposite. 

          The class then separated into several self-discovery break-out
          sessions. The self-professed extroverts were grouped together,
          while introverts were allowed to meet in any group size,
          depending on their comfort levels. Each group listed its own
          perceived strengths and weaknesses, the behaviors that
          frustrated each other, and what each would like the other to
          understand about them. Perhaps I shouldn't have been surprised
          to note that the number of introverts was nearly three times
          the number of extroverts, but I was. And the varying energy
          levels were clearly audible-the extroverts were loud and
          boisterous, while the introverts explored their concerns with
          quiet intensity. 

          Analyzing "The Other" 

          What did each group think about the others' strengths? The
          introverts conceded that the exuberant extros were great at
          balancing and offering ideas. They seemed more connected and
          thus more aware of what was going on, full of passion and
          commanding attention. And the extroverts admitted that their
          quieter counterparts were much deeper thinkers-more detailed,
          more focused, more analytical. Their well-articulated comments
          also had greater impact. 

          Then came the moment of truth: What frustrated the introverts?
          The irritant of choice was a demand for instant feedback.
          "Chill out!" one said, "I need some time to think about things.
          And if you don't answer the extrovert and look confused, he'll
          talk even faster and continue talking! How can anyone continue
          talking when it appears that no one is interested in
          listening?" Introverts made a plea for individual space and
          patience in awaiting responses.  They preferred to communicate
          in writing, and liked to have advance knowledge of questions
          and agendas. 

          The most common complaint from the extrovert camp was the
          introvert's unsatisfying response to an urgent question: that
          confounding blank stare. "You gotta give me
          something-anything!" cried one frustrated extrovert, "even if
          it's a nod, smile, yes, no, I don't know, or simply saying "Let
          me think about it."" Extroverts need to know that the introvert
          understands the urgency of a situation and isn't deliberately
          withholding information, but is instead involved and
          interested. 

          Nods of understanding spread through both camps. Then someone
          asked if we were born with these traits. While Karten
          acknowledged that biology does determine personality to a great
          degree, she claimed, "You can become skilled at being the
          other; it takes a lot of energy, like stretching your muscles.
          And as you mature, you tend to move more toward the center."
          It's all about bridging effectively with people of different
          natures-and with time and patience, there's hope for those
          urgent young extros-and shrinking young intros-in your office. 

 -Rosalyn Lum

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