Introverts
Susan Cain recently published a book called Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking. She also did a TED Talk on the same topic and I recommend that you read it or at least listen to the TED Talk. In business, understanding what makes people tick is crucial; it’s important for employees, co-workers, and of course, with clients. There are a lot of misunderstandings of the role extroverts and introverts play in the business world. Being in touch with the typical behavior of an introvert could have a positive impact on your business in a significant way.
Society is increasingly rewarding those who love to talk, talk, and talk some more. It wants the charismatic speaker, the prolific blogger and social networker, the person who seemingly has the right opinion on everything. Be careful! It’s been said that we have two ears and one mouth for a reason, they are to be used in that proportion. I might take it even a step further and bring our eyes into that scenario. For me, and probably many other introverts, spending 40% of the time listening, 40% of the time looking and observing, and 20% of the time talking would be the ideal scenario. If someone is always doing the talking, they’re likely not listening and learning, so be wary of those who talk too much.
According to the experts, the biggest lesson about introverts for businesses to learn is in the hiring process. During the hiring process, an introvert will almost never make the same type of “splashy” impression in the interview as an extrovert, but he or she could very well be the best candidate for the job.
At Grey Elephant, we embrace both sides of our personalities. We enjoy relationship building and spending time with our clients, but we also enjoy listening and learning about their needs.
