The sales world is overpopulated with extroverts. In fact, a knack for talking is what steered a lot of sales reps into their profession. But every now and then, an introvert sneaks into the ranks.
“It is very difficult for an extrovert to understand an introvert, wrote the education experts Jill D. Burruss and Lisa Kaenzig, adding that introverts are “a minority in the regular population but a majority in the gifted population.”
Self-described introvert Jonathan Rauch, a contributing writer for The Atlantic, wrote some years back about wrestling with introversion in a world dominated by extroverts. “Extroverts dominate public life. This is a pity. If we introverts ran the world, it would no doubt be a calmer, saner, more peaceful sort of place,” he stated.
We got to thinking about introverts — especially introverts in the workplace — when a chart entitled “How to Care for Introverts” recently started getting tweeted and retweeted, posted on Facebook and otherwise pushed around the Internet. We’ve duplicated it here.
“It should actually be called ‘How to Care for Humans,’” commented the e-mailer who sent it our way. It could also be called, “12 Tips Every Leader Needs to Know.”
We found a well-done video that puts these lesson in motion. A link to it can be found in our Additional Web Resources Box on our home page.
HOW TO CARE FOR INTROVERTS
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Respect their need for privacy.
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Never embarrass them in public.
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Let them observe first in new situations.
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Give them time to think. Don’t demand instant answers.
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Don’t interrupt them.
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Give them advance notice of expected changes in their lives.
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Give them 15 minute warnings to finish whatever they are doing.
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Reprimand them privately.
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Teach them new skills privately.
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Enable them to find one best friend who has similar interests and abilities
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Don’t push them to make lots of friends.
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Respect their introversion. Don’t try to remake them into extroverts.
