Knowing What Introvert and Extrovert Mean – hr bartender
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
Today’s article is about two definitions.
Introvert means a person who prefers calm environments, limits social engagement, or embraces a greater than average preference for solitude. I’ve always thought of an introvert as someone who gets their energy from being quiet or having time to themselves.
Extrovert means having a disposition that is energized through social engagement and languishes in solitude. So in contrast to introverts, extroverts get their energy from being with people in teams or on group activities.
The reason I’m bringing up extroverts and introverts is because I recently participated in a meeting where someone got these definitions wrong. And on top of that, they implied that being an extrovert is better than being an introvert because you have to be outgoing and gregarious in order to be successful.
I believe we need to be careful when attaching labels to people, even labels like extrovert and introvert. Because the truth is we’re a little bit of both. We might find that we gravitate toward one or the other at home versus at work. Or we tend to feel one way around certain groups and differently in others.
In fact, it’s possible if we would self-identify as an extrovert that maybe we’re working through a challenge and deliberately focused on introverted qualities like a calm environment and spending time alone. The reverse could also be true. An individual who self-identifies as an introvert might be in a new role and trying to build new work friendships by spending more time with others.
Organizations need employees to have both introvert and extrovert qualities. Teams need both as well. As individuals, we know our preferences. That being said, as individuals we should be willing to share our preferences and occasionally flex to meet the needs of the situation. And if we’re on the receiving end – meaning that someone is asking us to give them space or asking to be included with the group – we need to figure out how to respect them.
The meeting I was in recently reminded me of a few things.
- Know the meaning of the words you use.
- No one is 100% introvert or extrovert. We have a bit of both.
- While we know our preferences, there might be times when we need to flex.
- We need to respect the preferences of others.
As organizations spend more time talking about returning to the office and the benefits of collaboration, knowing what extrovert and introvert mean will become incredibly important.
Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby while exploring the streets of Havana, Cuba
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