Introverts and Extroverts in the Business World

By
David A. Berresford

This series of articles is designed to help the reader reflect upon who they are as a person, why they are who they are, and how their personality impacts upon their relationship to others. The previous two articles (See Archives) have addressed the matter of introverts and extroverts. Let’s Party! gives an overview of the differences between introverts and extroverts and Introverts and Extroverts in a Church Dynamic examines how these two personality types may look differently upon the church experience.

A prospective customer walks into an appliance store intending to buy a new television. The customer has done the background research, comparing prices and quality, and is ninety-nine percent sure which product will be purchased. The customer quietly slips over to the electronics section of the store to take one last look at the chosen product. At that moment an excited salesperson rapidly approaches the customer. A boisterous, “How can I help you?” accompanies the immense smile as the salesperson moves to within inches of the customer. The customer, notes in hand, shares a partial sentence on the product about to be purchased only to be interrupted by the enthusiastic salesperson’s expertise. “That is a popular model with some, but you may want to consider…” followed by all the information that was learned at the last staff meeting. The closer the salesperson comes toward the customer, the more the customer backs away. The bolder the salesperson becomes the more reserved the customer becomes.

Much to the surprise of the extroverted salesperson, who gave the best sales pitch possible, the introvert slips out of the store without buying a television or anything else. He may never return to this place of business. Even if the introvert does purchase a product he probably will have a sense of resentment and buyer’s remorse because of his experience with the extroverted salesperson.

On the other hand, if a salesperson fails to interact personally with an extrovert, the extrovert may believe that the salesperson is uncaring and may not purchase a product. One of the keys to the salesperson’s success is the ability to interpret personality types and respond accordingly.

All businesses need to understand the difference between extroverts and introverts and have that understanding at all levels of employment. Much to the surprise of some employers, introverts can and do make excellent salespeople, teachers, administrators, and managers. The introvert’s layered personality makes the introverted individual capable of many endeavors that belie the oft-misinterpreted introvert profile. Sometimes in interview situations the extrovert has the advantage over the introvert. The introvert often takes more time to answer a question to insure an accurate response whereas an extrovert is more likely to show an initial confidence in a response. Prospective employers would be better served if they listened carefully to the details of the candidate’s response and consider the individual’s PQ (potential quotient). Reserve should never be interpreted as weakness or ignorance. To phrase it differently, meekness is not to be equated with weakness. The quiet strength of the introvert may be that which ‘carries the day’ in difficult times.

In team meetings the introvert may limit his/her verbal contributions. The facilitator of the meeting may misunderstand the introvert’s demeanor as a lack of interest. This observation is seldom true as the introvert is usually processing relevant information in detail before they are willing to make a comment.

Many business in-service/workshop (professional development) activities are extrovert centered. Participants are often asked to share personal information in small group activities. They may also be expected to take part in interactive “team-building” games. Introverts are at times extremely uncomfortable in such a setting. Conversely, extroverts may be bored if expected to sit and process information for long periods of time. It is not a matter of intelligence in either case but rather a matter of personality. Effective workshop facilitators will use a variety of strategies to insure that the needs of all participants are met.

Personally, I have presented workshops and messages in a variety of settings and locations. I have taught in one capacity or another for over forty years (Not bad for someone who is only 39!). I am very much an introvert but, because of the public positions I have held, many casual observers are shocked that I am an introvert and my actions have sometimes been misunderstood.

For example, on Wednesday, September 12, 2001, I was required to attend a professional development meeting with other area administrators. Since it was the day after the attack on the World Trade Center, I was somewhat preoccupied with that event. To put it simply, I was not in the mood to play games. The facilitator’s first activity required the attendees to make a circle with their thumb and index finger, place the circle on their cheek, and wiggle their other three fingers. All of the attendees did so, some giggling and laughing. That is, all the attendees, except one. Since I saw no value in the activity, I sat quietly, reflected on the events of the previous day, and waited for information that would benefit my job performance.

The facilitator was appalled that someone in this group would not play “Circles and Wiggle Fingers.” He looked directly at me, coming toward me as he did so, and again gave the directions for the activity. Since I was the only one not following the directions, I felt he was singling me out. After the third attempt at instruction on his part, I quietly said, “I’m not playing.” (It was a double innuendo, even though he didn’t pick up on it.) Even though he heard me, he looked at the person next to me and said, “What did he say?” She responded loudly and somewhat defensively of me, “He said he’s not playing.” I don’t know whether it was my associate’s comment or the look I gave him but from that point on the facilitator concentrated his efforts elsewhere. Several of the participants approached me immediately after the in-service to express their displeasure with the type of activities that were used and said they wished they had not “played.”

Later in the day, I met with the director responsible for the workshops and explained to her that I thought the facilitator was being insensitive to the events of the time as well as being insensitive to some of the participants in the activity. She informed me that she believed I was being coy in a pretentious and provocative way. Unfortunately, she had misinterpreted my words and actions. Had the extremely extroverted presenter had an awareness of introverted personalities, the situation could have been avoided. To this man’s credit, I will say that in future workshops he was less aggressive in his approach toward his audience.

How many introvert’s actions are misinterpreted causing unnecessary social tension? How many times is an extrovert’s friendliness or outgoing nature interpreted as being bodacious? A conscious awareness of the personalities of those around us will lead to a more effective business environment.

In the next article we will examine Introverts and Extroverts in a School Environment.