How To Successfully Manage Introverts And Extroverts

Offices act like a temporary home to individuals with a wide range of personalities. It can be difficult to manage introverts and extroverts, people who often sit on the opposite ends of such a broad social spectrum. The disconnection between these employees can often lead to miscommunication and many other issues within the workplace.

When working with introverts and extroverts it is essential to be able to distinguish between the two different personality types. Extroverted people are social beings who gain energy from being around other people and lose energy when they are alone. On the other hand, introverts are people that lose energy from being around people and gain energy from being alone. It is important to learn how to manage introverts and extroverts successfully to ensure that the different personality types help your business flourish.

Below are some helpful tips to guide you in managing introverts and extroverts.

Working with an introvert:

Since introverts lose energy from being around people for a period of time, it is best not to continually put them in group projects where they are surrounded by people the entire day. While they certainly can be a part of group projects, make sure to assign them a task that they can complete on their own and that allows them to be able to frequently move away from the group atmosphere when possible to recharge.

Introverts are quiet by nature and will likely be more hesitant to talk when in big groups of people. If you find that you are having a hard time getting an introverted individual to speak up or provide insight into their work or a project, take the time to speak with them one on one. They are more likely to open up and share their ideas when they are not in a group setting. Make sure to give them the option to email any suggestions, questions or concerns to you as well.

Introverts need time to think and gather their thoughts. Before any meetings occur, make sure to give the introvert ample time to prepare for the topics at hand. You will be much more likely to receive better involvement if they can prepare and present their ideas to you.

Working with an extrovert:

The great thing about having a mix of introverted and extroverted employees is that they do tend to balance themselves out pretty well when it comes to conversations. Introverts naturally enjoy listening while extroverts genuinely enjoy talking. Make sure to let your extroverted employees share their ideas and thoughts because they certainly will have plenty of them! Allowing an extrovert to share their thoughts can be a great catalyst for coming up with some wonderful ideas and game plans for your business.

If you can provide extroverts with a space for like-minded colleagues to meet, your business will fare better because of it. Have a room where your more outgoing and enthusiastic employees can openly discuss and share ideas where they do not have to worry about being too loud or alienating their introverted counterparts. Allowing them to be themselves, will encourage extroverts to have idea-generating discussions amongst their fellow extroverted coworkers.

Don’t be afraid to put your extroverted employees on the front line when it comes to dealing with clients or interdepartmental meetings. extroverts are friendly and will always put their best effort into ensuring that they leave a long-lasting impression on anyone they meet. They always say that extroverts never encounter strangers, they only encounter potential friends and acquaintances, so don’t be afraid to put their strongest skill set to use. Not only will this benefit your business, but it also energizes the extrovert.

Being able to understand your employees’ different personality types can help you make better decisions about how to organize your teams and structure your workplace environment. Whether you have a business that is full of extroverts or there are only a few amongst a sea of introverts, do your best to encourage the extroverts in your office to focus their energy on building strong relationships that lead to better team dynamics and individual success within the workplace. Make sure to give introverts plenty of space, and they will produce results far beyond your expectations.