Recognizing the Strengths of Extraverts

Do a search on “introverts” or “introversion” and you will find a bevy of recent articles extolling the qualities and strengths of introverts. And rightly so.  Since western society tends to place more value on extraverted qualities than on introverted qualities, it’s high time that the latter got their due.   

But let’s not forget that high-performing teams need a mix of both introverted qualities AND extraverted qualities as well as complementary skills, talents and experience. 

To that end, here are some of the strengths of people who have a higher tendency toward extraversion.

Extraverts:

Readily adapt to new situations. Individuals with more extraverted tendencies are not put off by change, in fact, they embrace it. Their natural optimism helps them focus on the “silver lining” in the new situation or environment and, in their enthusiasm, they often bring others along with them.

Are quick thinkers. Those with more extraverted tendencies are about ACTION, and they don’t need much advance thinking to spring into action when a situation calls for it. If a meeting leader doesn’t show up, those with more extraverted tendencies are going to get things rolling. If a quick decision is needed and most, but not all, of the facts are in, the Extravert will feel comfortable making it without waiting for lengthy deliberation.

Face conflict head on. Rather than shy away from conflict, individuals who are higher in extraversion will deal with it directly. Again, their focus is on action, and the sooner the conflict is dealt with and resolved, the sooner they can move on toward the goal. To Extraverts, conflict is not necessarily a bad thing. It may, in fact, ultimately provide a better result than if opposing views had been left dormant.

Are excellent networkers. Individuals who lean more toward extraversion are at ease with new people, in groups and in crowds. They are energized by social interaction and will often approach newcomers at an event or on a team to welcome them and make them feel comfortable.  This social energy draws others to them, and enables them to easily develop broad networks of contacts and friends.

Motivate. Their visible enthusiasm and positive outlook also help Extraverts persuade other people, in roles as leaders, coaches and motivators.

On any given team or in any organization there are times when quick ACTION is called for and times when stepping back and THINKING before acting is more appropriate. Having individuals on your team that demonstrate a mix of these abilities is key to achieving success.

Lead on,

Rebecca

Leveraging the Strengths of Introverts

Browse through listings on any job board site and you are bound to find a number of postings that include “outgoing” as one of the desired qualities.  Some even include it in the job title, as in the following listing from a major staffing firm: JOB TITLE: Outgoing Accounting Clerk For A Growing Retailer.

Other examples include such phrases as: “outgoing and customer-focused,” “outgoing and career-oriented,” “outgoing and energetic,” “outgoing, passionate and quick-thinking,” It’s no wonder that those who wouldn’t describe themselves as “outgoing,” might feel a bit put off.

In a culture where speaking up, thinking on your feet and projecting social energy are highly valued, those who prefer a more introspective way of approaching the world, introverts, often feel less valued. And yet, as Susan Cain points out in her book, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, without introverts we would not have the theory of gravity, the theory of relativity, Peter Pan, The Cat in the Hat, Charlie Brown, Google, Harry Potter and a variety of other innovations we’ve come to know and love.

The concept of introversion vs. extraversion is credited to Carl Jung, who defined introversion as characterized by an inward orientation and extraversion as characterized by an external orientation. Unfortunately, this has been translated over the years into common stereotypes that label introverts as quiet, shy and anti-social and extraverts as loud, outgoing and gregarious. The distinction, however, is really more about where an individual derives his or her energy. Introverts re-energize through self-reflection and solitude. They are not necessarily shy or anti-social, they just tend to feel drained by too much social interaction. Extraverts, on the other hand, re-energize through social interactions, and tend to feel less energetic with too much quiet time.

Introversion and extraversion are not either/or qualities. We all have elements of both and given the situation we may prefer to lean more strongly on one than on the other.  Let’s make no mistake about it, introversion qualities bring a great deal of value to a given situation, a relationship, a team and an organization.  Let’s look at 5 qualities that are key strengths of introversion.

Introverts:

Listen first, talk second. Whereas when people with strong extraverted qualities talk with others who have strong extroverted qualities, the discussions are often a rapid volley of ideas and statements with little time for processing, introverts tend to listen first, process, then talk. They help prevent those “gems of ideas” from getting lost in the fray.

Build deep, lasting relationships. While we tend to think of extraversion as a key requirement for salespeople, studies prove otherwise. People with strong introverted qualities have powers of observation and innate listening skills that help them devise well-formulated customer solutions, which lead to long-term relationships. These strengths also contribute to their success on teams and as leaders.

Are effective leaders of extraverts. A recent study by Harvard Business School found that on teams displaying mainly extraverted qualities, an extraverted leader can be a liability if everyone is contributing ideas and the leader is too busy participating to listen, act upon them, or facilitate the group to make room for everyone to contribute ideas. An introverted leader, however, is more likely to lead the team in a manner where everyone has an opportunity to think first, offer their input and then process the ideas. This can lead to higher quality contribution where people feel heard and valued for their ideas.  The end result of this can lead to cutting edge innovation.

Influence, quietly.  “When individuals with strong introverted tendencies need to be influencers, they focus on careful thought and depth. There isn’t much fanfare or much noise. In their quiet, humble way, introverted influencers make sure that the people they are hoping to impact have the space to get the message. Yet they are frequently overlooked and underestimated by organizations and colleagues who buy in to the idea that talking reigns supreme.”  Jennifer Kahnweiler, Ph.D., in her book, Quiet Influence, The Introvert’s Guide to Making a Difference.

Bring a different perspective.  Any team is stronger when it includes members with different talents and skill sets, varied backgrounds and diverse personalities.  Ensuring that your team comprises a variety of perspectives will improve performance and success.  Make sure that adequate space is made for all individuals to reflect on topics prior to the discussion, and once the discussion begins, make sure that everyone has the space to offer their insights and perspective.

As the old adage says, “If both of us think exactly alike, one of us is unnecessary.”

Lead on,

Rebecca

Are You the New Manager? Assess Before You Act!

Starting a new job can be stressful at any level, but when you become the new manager of an existing team it can be especially so. Let’s face it, you are there because either a) the previous manager failed (which means the team may be angry, frustrated or disengaged) or b) the previous well-liked manager moved on (which means the team may be hurting and resistant to change).
 

Your leadership has certain expectations about the results they want from you, and your natural instinct is to want to quickly establish yourself by making some tangible improvements. 

STOP. LOOK. LISTEN.

Before you start making the changes that you envisioned or were requested of you, take some time to understand your team and how things work now so that you can determine the best way forward. Here are some tips.

Learn about your team and let them learn about you. Have a one-on-one with each team member. Find out what’s working from their perspective, and what’s not. How do they describe their role on the team? What are their ideas for improvement? What are their expectations from you? Have a team meeting to share about who you are, your leadership style, and your expectations; open the floor for questions and concerns. Listen.

Understand the company culture. No doubt you asked about it in your interview. But give yourself some time to observe it firsthand. Read internal communications, attend a variety of meetings, talk to other managers. Look and listen.

Assess the strengths and weaknesses of the team, processes, and environment. What is the basis for any “issues” you have been chartered to fix? Are people in the right roles based on their strengths and desires? Are the team goals SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Timely)? What additional resources are needed? What needs to be addressed first? What can wait? Look and listen.

Communicate regularly. Change is difficult. But if people understand the “why” of change, and “how” it will make things better in addition to the “what” will change, they are more likely to try to adapt versus outright resist. Recognize and celebrate successful results. Share lessons learned when things don’t go so well. 

Stop. Look. Listen. 

Now, go!

Lead on,

Rebecca

Improving Processes Through Diverse Viewpoints

The ability to build rapport and communicate effectively with others is a key skill for any role in the organization. It leads to more productive sales conversations with clients, enables teams to reach the “performing”stage more quickly, and helps leaders engage and retain their employees.  In previous blogs I’ve shared with you some examples of how Lumina Spark  has contributed to results for individuals and teams in the areas of sales, leadership and team development.  Lumina learning tools can also have an impact across the broader organization. 

Many organizations today are employing Lean Six Sigma principles to improve their processes and the quality of their products and services. Effective communication is a key component in Lean Six Sigma thinking and doing. To better understand this, I spoke with Nancy Barlett, Six Sigma Green Belt and President of The Barlett Alliance, a Texas-based consulting firm that works with organizations in the public sector to improve process efficiencies and organizational performance.  Here’s what she said:

“When organizations are using Lean Six Sigma in their work, that translates into deploying many different people over a variety of functions to solve process problems. Typically, the members of each team are working on a process/problem that they have in common, but often they have never worked together before. We know how tricky communication can be with people we know, so imagine how much more complicated it is when we have “strangers” coming together for a relatively short period of time to solve a common problem. 

“In case a picture of that doesn’t readily come to mind, consider the following. The FranklinCovey Company surveyed thousands of employees around the globe. People were asked if they agreed or did not agree with a number of statements. One of those statements was: I actively seek out differing viewpoints. The percent of respondents who “agreed” with that statement? Only 32%!

“Lumina learning tools can be of significant assistance when that’s exactly what we need people to do to improve the process: seek out different viewpoints. When individuals can speed read each other and quickly discern why and how they can approach the work from a variety of perspectives, that turns into a true asset for teams that have a powerful but short shelf life!”

Lead on,

Rebecca

For more information, please contact me at RebeccaBales@luminalearning.com.

Improving Team Performance Through Improved Communication

We all know that effective communication improves relationships among individuals, teams and organizations. But we generally attribute that to a common interpretation of the content of the discussion through feedback, clarification and other communication best practices.

A 2012 study by MIT’s Human Dynamics Laboratory, however, found that the “key to high performance lay not in the content of a team’s discussions, but in the manner in which it [the team] was communicating.” They discovered that patterns of communication – how and when teams communicate – are the most important predictor of a team’s success.

So how do you improve the way your team communicates?

Every team comprises individuals with diverse personality traits that influence how they communicate with each other and as a group. When individuals become aware of their own communication style and learn how that style may impact or be interpreted by others – intra-team communication improves. Team members learn to use alternative ways to get their message across so that it will be better received by others, which ultimately improves team relationships and improves team performance.

Here’s an example of how improving the way team members communicated resulted in higher performance.

A team of deeply experienced professionals at a large airline company needed to improve their ability to influence other key departments and general managers across the airline. Although the team was often required to create virtual teams to work on specific business issues, they didn’t always have official control over those resources. Their ability to influence in a virtual world was essential.

During a 6-month program which included workshops, coaching sessions and an online component, the team worked to better understand themselves and others through use of the Lumina Spark portrait. The team learned techniques that enabled them to quickly create an open team environment where authentic and honest communication was the norm.  They each became aware of any blind spots they had that could undermine the team’s ability to function as a high performing team.  Through Lumina’s simple color framework, team members were able to quickly “speed read” others and adapt their communication accordingly, resulting in greater influence and higher performance. The Lumina “language of color” has now become a key resource for establishing virtual teams and an essential part of the organizational culture.

If you’d like to learn more about how Lumina can help your organization, please contact me for your local Lumina Learning Affiliate.  You can reach me at RebeccaBales@luminalearning.com.

Lead on,

Rebecca