Tag: introvert vs extrovert

LinkedIn Poll: Where do you get your energy from?

My LinkedIn poll completely surprised me

LinkedIn poll results

I had a completely biased viewpoint going into this poll. My expectations were aligned with what David Keirsey, author of Please Understand Me, concluded was society’s breakdown of Introverts vs Extraverts, which was 75% Extravert, 25% Introvert. For those that didn’t see my intention, this was my attempt at figuring out which people in my network were I’s and E’s.

However, the results were completely mirrored from what Mr. Keirsey found to be true. 76% Introvert and 24% Extravert?!!

How did this happen?

Comments

Some excellent comments need to be highlighted which shed some light on the results, and my errors in the framing of the question.

“Could it be that because you are introverted, the people in your network are also introverted and the results are coming out that way for that reason?”

“I wanted a “both” option, because it depends on how the week went. Sometimes alone time is required, other times, I want to hang out and chat or have a beer.”

“I think it’s dependent on who the other person is. Some people are draining, take your energy without giving any back or they deflect it.“

“It might be good to add another option for extroverts that aren’t social, as what fundamentally recharges them is stimulation that triggers the rewards center of the brain and generates dopamine, that can come from others, but it doesn’t necessarily have to either.”

“I am BOTH. It depends on what type of recharge I need.”

“I am on the I/E bubble. I can recharge alone OR with a close family member/friend.”

“It’s a pretty small sample size. That said, perhaps there’s a bias that more introverted people respond to such written surveys about such things.”

Option 3

Following in the Jungian spirit, my goal was to force an answer in order to get clear results and weed out the fence-sitters. What happened in reality was an overwhelming call for a 3rd option that centered around being “Both, depending on the situation.”

This reaction makes sense, in that nobody can be completely Introverted or Extraverted unless they are in a deep state of mental illness. What I find interesting about the results is the fact that so many respondents needed to clarify why they chose a certain answer, as if choosing a side was somehow limiting or putting them “in a box.”

(Possible) Errors in my poll

Here are some of the faults in my poll:

  • It’s not a representative sample size because my reach is limited to my network
  • 199 respondents is not a large enough data set to get an accurate measure on an entire population
  • Self-reporting is historically inaccurate
  • Introversion vs Extraversion is the hardest dichotomy to force a clear answer

Conclusion

Though this was not a scientifically validated poll, there are takeaways that should be considered relevant on an anecdotal level.

People are dynamic creatures that adapt and change in specific environments and to various stimuli. Thus, trying to force a binary response will be a mixed bag of results, especially when there is not a 3rd option that allows for a “Both, depending on the situation” type answer.

As I mention in my discussions around MBTI and personality, there is no right or wrong answer when it comes to your Type, and everyone has gifts to share that are highly individualized. Embrace them!

To book me for MBTI consultations–find my Calendly on the sidebar or here!

For more of my content, you know where to find me:

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You Want to Be in Management?

Not everyone can be the manager


People tend to think that the natural progression of a corporate job is management. It’s almost a perfect formula: start at the bottom, put in 5 to 10 years, become a manager. And if you have extraordinary ability, move up into a VP, Director, or C-level role.

That Would Be Great | Know Your Meme

In speaking with candidates, the current mindset seems to be that they are ready for management, or rather, they deserve management. Not everyone can be Manager, and not everyone has the chops to effectively do it.

Motivating Factors

The ideal manager is somebody that has an innate tendency towards leadership, and through their sheer attraction and willpower, can convince others to follow them. Others are inspired to take action on their behalf. There are only a handful of leaders in world history who fully achieved this ideal (Napoleon, Caesar, Washington) . In a corporation, these are the types of people you notice right away that are destined for leadership. There’s an aura about them that exudes confidence and influence.

Donald Trump's Nether Universe, and Napoleon Bonaparte

Believing that it is your turn, or that you put in enough time at the company as a qualifier for leadership, is pervasive. It does make sense from a strictly “promote the most senior colleague” point of view, but it might not be the most effective. After all, those that have been there the longest likely know the business the best, the rationale goes.

what would you say you do here - Misc - quickmeme

Now, the worst reason people become managers is that some people just don’t want to grind anymore. If you are in sales, you don’t want to knock on doors or make cold calls. It’s not necessarily negative to want out of that daily struggle, but moving into management to avoid it doesn’t seem like a noble cause. It’s a harsh way to look at it, but we’ve all worked long enough to know this is a reality that can’t be denied.

The Importance of Friendship in Sales

Interviewing managers

Here are some questions to ask potential managers:

  • Why do you want to be in management?
  • What are the skills that qualify you for management?
  • What is your management style?
  • In your mind, who exemplifies great leadership?
  • Will you step in for an underling and do a “low-level” task?
  • What is your day-to-day plan for personal and professional growth?

Using these questions, you should be able to get a good sense of whether this person is destined for leadership, or if they are hoping for management to “get out of the trenches.” The goal here is to find out if a potential managers has genuine intentions towards leadership.

P.S. You can use the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator to assess potential managers. The science behind Type and leadership has been proven out.

To chat more about MBTI and management, find me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-arrigo/

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Introverts Guide to the Workplace

Being an introvert, no matter the type of environment you are in, is going to be filled with internal clashes and possible conflict with your more extraverted colleagues.

As an introvert myself (INTJ) who has navigated the corporate environment, I want to give you some of my personal tips along with some tips from various other MBTI materials that will help make the workplace a better place for you.

What are MBTI Types and How Can They Affect Your Career Choices ...

Understanding Extraverts

Carl Jung, in his original work, Psychological Types, spelled it Extraversion, which I will faithfully maintain.

We live in an E world. Though there is much debate over what the exact percentage of Introversion to Extraversion actually is, the official MBTI data shows it a dead heat. In the corporate environment, however, the ratio is skewed towards Extraverts. Starting with this as our foundation, we have to understand from the beginning that most people we’re going to deal with are not going to interact with the world the same way as us. That being said, here are a couple of things you will notice extraverts do that can disrupt your mood and your workflow.

Introverts vs Extroverts - YouTube

How Extraverts Act at Work (From the Introverts point-of-view)

• Chat incessantly about irrelevant things like what they did last weekend and what they will do this weekend
• Brainstorm out loud no matter who’s listening
• Stop by your desk and talk to you when you are clearly deep laser focused on work

This is how introverts interpret the actions of extroverts. However, this attitude creates a negative perception that is not actually real.

Student (is this real) Life? | The Michigan Journal

Extroverts need to work their ideas out by bouncing them off other people. Brainstorming and throwing ideas around are standard actions that help E’s determine their plan of action. This process is completely foreign to I’s.

Introverts like to consult themselves and bounce things around in their head. Oftentimes you can catch them “self-talking” or debating themselves before coming to a conclusion about a plan of action. This fundamental difference in approach to life can be quite the annoyance to the introvert who just “needs a second to think about it!”

The Importance of Positive Self-Talk – San Diego – Sharp Health News

Introverts get their energy from within, while extraverts get their energy from without. If you take this at face value, then you can see where the conflict will arise. Extraverts need to do things in a team setting and be in constant communication with others as it keeps them motivated to figure out what they’re going to do next.

Introvert Solutions

Once we understand how extraverts interact with the world, we can start implementing some solutions right away. I want to make it clear that all the literature tells us this could take a very long time to adopt and is not something that will change by next week.

• Schedule time in your day to do something outside of work away from the office. This could be listening to a podcast, listening to music, reading a book, or something that allows you to mull over things in your head.
• Re-frame your view that extraverts are purposely trying to annoy you. This is the hardest obstacle to hurdle, but it’s the most important one for progress to happen.
• Fake it! Try to emulate other extraverts or access your inner extravert (it’s in there somewhere) and strengthen that part of you that’s likely very weak.

Reading Music to Concentrate | Study Music | Relaxing Music for ...

As I’ve mentioned in previous articles, poor communication is not a sign of intelligence, it’s a personality type difference. As soon as we learn to cater to our opposite type, we can relieve some of the stress and friction that exists in our workplace.

If you know someone who would benefit from MBTI counseling, please send them my way!

To message me directly, find me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-arrigo/

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Why Am I Getting Rejected – Job Interview and Awareness

There is a common post-interview plague that is tragically infecting job seekers. It is in regards to not understanding how the interview went and going as far as to say you “killed the interview.” From my experience in being the middleman in this process, those who claim the interview went amazingly well, don’t get the job. Those who said the interview was OK, or they “think it went alright” are the ones who usually get the role.

Lack of Awareness

There is a disconnect between what you perceive as building rapport and being jovial, and the true reality of the situation. Candidates will tell me they were joking and laughing and the conversation was very light-hearted, as trademark signs that the interview was going swimmingly. What’s happening is the laughter is the nervous kind, and the jokes were off-putting. The laid back nature of the interview is because they’ve already decided you aren’t a fit and they don’t need to get deeper into the details of the job. Generally, this is recurrent theme with these candidates and is something that can be reversed by focusing on MBTI and the way in which one interacts and perceives the world.

Myers- Briggs and Interview Style

We have to start by understanding ourselves. And the way we do that is by first reading, Please Understand Me by David Kiersey. Once we discover the way our specific type (out of 16) perceives and relates to others– in a way I guarantee most of us haven’t fully conceptualized– we can fix some of the recurring potholes we always stumble in.

I think I can offer one straightforward explanation as to why your type is affecting your interviews and potential job offers. If you are an Extrovert in general, you are going to get your energy from the outer world. If along with your extroverted-ness, you also have a preference for Feeling vs Thinking, you are going to internalize your outer world. So when you get the laughter and smiles and eye contact in the interview, you are going to say, “hey, I am doing pretty well here!”

Unfortunately, you may be reading the situation on a very superficial plane. Your S and T functions will come in handy here if you make a wholehearted effort to develop them. Learning to strengthen your Sensing (S) and Thinking (T) functions will help you pick up on physical clues that can alert you to points when the interview might be taking a wrong turn and you need to course correct.

Obviously, there are millions more words to be written on the finer points of using MBTI to help with JUST how to interview better and be more aware of our faults. Though our tendency is to find a way to externalize our blame onto the interviewer, we should first make certain the interviewee truly knows themselves.

To message me directly, find me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-arrigo/

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Workplace Motivation and Type: Bridging the Gap

A misunderstanding in regards to workplace motivation or “rallying the troops,” stems from personality type. A rousing speech, a pep talk, or a motivational meme will have starkly different results depending on an employee’s MBTI. Many articles and videos have been produced highlighting what I am going to write here. Nonetheless, it continues to be a roadblock many organization cannot navigate around.

Standard motivation

A quick list is useful to get a high level overview of which types are internally motivated and which need a polite nudge to get moving. Internally motivated types are: ENFJ, INTJ, ENTJ, ENTP, ISTJ, ESTJ, ESTP. Externally motivated types are: INFJ, INFP, ENFP, INTP, ISTP, ISFP, ESFP. Take a look at the hyperlink above to get a further analysis of each individual’s motivational posture.

Also, for managers or aspiring managers, take the assessment and know what you are working with.

The reason we have to focus on type as an imperative to great management is to recognize that, guaranteed, a percentage of your office isn’t going to process your motivational tactics the way you want them to. This is why company’s that dominate their industries use MBTI to build the strongest and most dynamic teams. For example, let’s look at Ray Dalio and his company, Bridgewater Associates. In his book, Principles, he talks about his implementation of “Radical Transparency” within Bridgewater and how it completely transformed the corporate culture. Along with the internal app that allowed each employee to view another’s profile, at every desk was a card that listed out MBTI, DiSC, and other personality assessments. This way, that vaunted communication issue could be greatly reduced.

bi graphics ray dalio principles final

When you know who you are dealing with and how they interpret and interact with their environment, you can avoid pitfalls before you step in them. That email you are about to send? That zoom meeting you are about to attend? That project you are going to lead? Well, now you know how how to approach everybody. And there’s no way you would argue against having more information about those you work with 8-10 hours per day. Work is already stressful enough–let’s do what we can make it increasingly more pleasant.

To message me directly, find me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-arrigo/

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