Opposites attract

Do you have employees so quiet they make you uncomfortable? What about employees so talkative they flat out exhaust you? While most individuals don’t live at the far extremes of the introversion/extraversion continuum, knowing your staff’s personality preferences empowers you to set up your team for exceptional success.

Imagine how unproductive your team would be if all of the employees were the same. While a team of introverts might sound blissful to an introverted leader, interactions that spark new ideas would be lacking, teamwork and collaboration would suffer, and communications with the public and other departments would be left wanting. On the flip side, who would listen and thoughtfully observe if your team was entirely extraverted? Who would enjoy performing solo tasks? Who would shine at projects requiring long-term, continuous concentration?

As a high performance leader, you’ll want to capitalize on the strengths of these contrasting yet complementary personalities. Let’s dive deeper.

Introverts tend to be quiet, reflective observers with little need to call attention to themselves, what they have done or are currently doing or thinking. They weigh their words carefully before speaking to ensure they say precisely what they mean. Introverts also tend to enjoy working solo. Additionally, introverts are generally well suited to large projects requiring ongoing and prolonged concentration. Bottom line, introverts thrive when given the space and solitude they need for thoughtful reflection, problem solving and recharging their batteries.

Unfortunately, introverts are often overlooked in hiring and promotion decisions, as well as in meetings and discussions leaving their insights, wisdom and skillsets untapped and underutilized.

Empower your introverts by sending out meeting agendas in advance and by strategically creating space for them to speak by not letting verbal dominators drone on. Draw them out by asking what they think or if they have anything to add to the discussion. Schedule a follow up meeting once everyone has had a chance to digest what was said, or request that your staff contact you directly with additional thoughts and insights.

In addition, protect your introverts from draining, nonstop interaction such as all day meetings and ongoing internal and external interactions. Guard your introverts and they’ll be energized, productive and highly loyal employees.

Unfortunately, what brings out the best in introverts drains and discourages extraverts. You’ll want to recognize and accommodate the preferences of both whenever possible.

Accessible, straightforward and full of life, extraverts tend to be energized by external stimuli including variety, action, sharing ideas, interacting with others and social gatherings. With their generally relaxed and confident attitude and outlook, extraverts tend to converse easily with a wide range of individuals and are generally the first to speak in meetings. Much to the chagrin and annoyance of introverts, in addition to clarifying and refining thoughts as they speak, extraverts also have a tendency to act first and think later.

Since extraverts are motivated by interacting with others, their creative juices are kindled by teamwork, group projects and collaboration. Such interactions empower extraverts to work harder and smarter. Additionally, preferring work with breadth rather than high complexity and depth, extraverts generally perform best when given a variety of tasks.

While extraverts must work alone at times, you’ll want to ensure that they aren’t grinding to a halt by placing them in jobs that are primarily isolated or by giving them tasks that keep them secluded and cut off from others.

Understanding how people are wired helps prevent introverts from viewing extraverts as shallow or pushy, and keeps extraverts as perceiving introverts as secretive, dull or uncommunicative. Collaborative, high-performance environments utilize and honor the contributions of both types.

Dr. Sherene McHenry, the author of Pick: Choose to Create A Life You Love, is passionate about creating healthier relationships and better bottom lines. www.sherenemchenry.com.