Introverts, Extroverts, or Empathy? Your Organization Needs All Three

We live in a world that favors the loudest voice over the most substantive speech, the reflexive action over the contemplative thought, and the group opinion over the personal musing. For introverts, living, learning, and working in a world that is created for extroverts can be incredibly stifling. Considering that 50% of working Americans are introverts, educational institutions and professional corporations are hurting themselves by not creating environments in which introverts and extroverts can thrive. Instead of pitting introverts and extroverts against one another, we should celebrate them both for their unique qualities, and realize that we greatly need one another to be successful.

In my year-long Communication Capstone course, I’ve conducted research to explore the experience of introverts over the course of their careers, and the ways organizational support for introverts can lead to overall institutional success. I conducted in-depth interviews with students and professionals who self-identified as introverts to get a sense of what they experienced in academic and professional settings and what did or would have facilitated in their success. Notably, the most important factor for most of my participants was a high level of empathy; something most of their environments were greatly lacking.

How Treating Introverts Like Extroverts Hinders Your Organization’s Success

Introverts and extroverts think differently from one another, but instead of tuning into the unique qualities that introverts possess, we encourage them to be more like extroverts. We tend to label the “quiet” people as being shy, antisocial, or unfriendly, when in reality, they’re most likely just taking time to gather their thoughts before they speak. Interestingly enough, most of the participants in my research described themselves as being social people that enjoy interacting with others, but also needing alone time to feel like themselves again. When asked what being an introvert meant to one participant, this is what she said:

“I remember going through life and just being exhausted by talking to people all day at school and work. To me, being an introvert just means that you’re able to handle your aloneness and need that extra time to recharge.”

Because introverts are wired to think before they speak, and extroverts feel more at ease while thinking on their feet, expecting both personality types to act the same way is counterproductive to the success of an organization. One participant questioned why group discussions are favored over one-on-one or even independent work that may produce better ideas:

“Why do people make a judgement that talking is superior to being quiet? Learning to speak aloud is important, but at my job I talk to people one-on-one and I don’t like group discussions. If you write your ideas down and they’re excellent, why should it matter if you don’t speak?”

While collaboration is essential when it comes to fine-tuning great ideas, the best ideas are often born out of contemplative thinking. If employers are forcing their introverted employees to constantly collaborate when they get their best ideas from self-reflection, the company could be losing out on the next big idea that could take them to higher success. By forcing both personality types to behave, work, and function in the same way, little room is left for innovation, spontaneity, and the potential for groundbreaking ideas to be created. Implementing a set balance of time for solo work and collaborative work is the key to success in any organization.

What Educational and Professional Environments Lack

The future is closer than we think, considering that introverts already have ideas about how they would change educational and professional environments so they could supplement the growth of introverts. While the systematic idea that talking is superior to staying quiet may take longer to change completely, there are easy and attainable steps that can be taken in these environments that will aid in the progression of this quiet revolution.

In professional settings, collaborative group work is seen as superior to the solo, contemplative thought. Open floor plan office spaces are particularly stress-inducing for introverts who may feel overstimulated by being surrounded by so many people. When asked about what she would change about professional settings, this is what one participant had to say:

“In terms of work environments, I think open-floor plans are harder for introverts to deal with, but I think even extroverts need some privacy sometimes. I think employees should be able to choose whether they want to work in an open floor plan or have their own cubicle, because introverts can feel self-conscious when they think people are staring at them all the time. I also think having an open floor plan can be counterproductive on the extrovert side, because it would encourage more chit-chatting when people should really be working.”

In academia, many lectures are characterized by the students that are more naturally inclined to speak out. This shifts the focus from the quality of the content to the quantity of responsiveness, which can lead to a lack of substantive learning. One interviewee suggested that teachers create an online forum on which introverted students can contribute their ideas on their own terms, and still get participation credit. This way, these students would get a chance to think through their thoughts before sharing them, which would make them feel more comfortable overall. Giving people time to think before they all come together for a discussion is a vital for the production of great ideas.

Let’s Work Together

Now that we’ve thought of some solutions to alter educational and professional environments, we need to tackle the larger issue at hand: a significant lack of empathy. When it comes down to it, introverts and extroverts are not better than one another, and they actually need each other to bring out their best respective qualities. One interviewee stressed the importance of both personality types in this quote:

“If you only have introverts on a team, it will be hard to generate enough discussion, and if you have too many extroverts, it’s like bulls in a china shop, always battling each other...regardless of what type you might be, it’s important how you encourage other people to participate and chime in, and how willing you are to accept criticism. Those to me are traits that determine leadership success or failure.”

While extroverts should encourage introverts to get outside of their comfort zones, there are also some valuable skills that introverts can teach extroverts. According to one participant, one thing that extroverts generally lack is quality time for introspection and reflection, which are two vital components to success.

“Introverts sometimes are more protective of their quiet time than others. I think it’s that quiet time that really is where we tend to grow and evolve the most. To me, if you’re an extrovert, you should carve out some dedicated quiet time to be away from people and being on stage, just as introverts may need to do the opposite. I think learning to enjoy your own company is a great quality for any type of person.”

Instead of encouraging introverts to be more like extroverts, we should allow introverts to embrace their natural qualities, because they are quickly becoming a rarity. Both introverts and extroverts can learn from one another, and they quite honestly need each other to be successful. By being more open-minded about each personality type and not stereotyping either one, we can all work together to both create and communicate excellent ideas.