In Susan Cain’s Ted Talk http://www.thepowerofintroverts.com/about-the-book/ she states that the
US culture tends to value “action over
contemplation.” She also distinguishes between shyness and introversion.
“Shyness is fear of
social judgment. Introversion is more
about how we respond to stimulation. Introverts tend to feel the most alive
when they are in quieter, solitude environments.”
A
colleague of mine described it like this, “When someone asks you a question,
the whiteboard of your mind starts filling in the blanks. You become energized.
When someone asks me a question, my whiteboard is blank. So I panic if there is
pressure to answer immediately. It takes me a while to collect my thoughts.”
If
you want to maximize the talent on your team, find the right “zone of
stimulation” that is right for each team member. Ms. Cain’s suggests the
following ways to honor the value of introversion:
- Stop the madness for constant group work. Provide time, space, privacy and autonomy for people to work alone.
- Go to the wilderness. Unplug and get inside your own head and heart and reconnect to natural rhythms.
- Stop faking it. Acknowledge and claim the strengths of introversion in yourself and others.
