Unleashing Introverts – Bringing Out the “I” in Team!

There is More Than One “I” in Team

In the first piece about introverts we discussed the story of an individual that was completely mis-characterized due in large part to his introverted manner. What happens when there is more than one introvert on a team or in a group? How does the existence of several introverts on a team affect the dynamics and behaviors of the collections of individuals as a whole?

As a bona fide extravert that routinely scores 30 out of 30 on Myers-Briggs assessments, I’ve experienced introverts everywhere I worked. However, until participating in a Myers-Briggs session in the early 1990s, I had no clue about my behaviors and interactions with introverts. (See below for a short overview of Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI).)

Mind you, as an all-in “E” we can get revved up to the point of scaring any introvert out of the room. That one workshop taught us to look out for the introverted participants in meetings and to make sure they have the space they need to be heard, to think, and to stay engaged.

This second of two real-life vignettes demonstrates how better awareness by both extraverts and introverts actually can open the door for a group well-represented with introverts to be themselves and make the team even better.

And, to make all of us better.

The Scarlet Letter(s) …

It began when I was a new executive at an organization – I inherited a group of reportees that was at an inflection point in their teamwork and engagement which, up to my entry, was far from what most of us call great teamwork. They had developed an excellent capability scaling a start-up into a powerhouse production engine. It was time for the team to get to the next level.

We discussed the plan to take a deep, inward look at how we work together. The weapons of choice to improve the isolated behaviors were a Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) assessment and Patrick Lencioni’s “Five Dysfunctions of a Team.” MBTI provided us with insight about preferences and Lencioni’s book opened up the story of dysfunction on a team.

The team was loaded with introverts and ISTJ was the dominant type and the “team” type – we were bound not to debate and discuss things openly or passionately.

Everyone was required to bring their own MBTI card to all staff meetings. We wore our letters proudly. We even put appropriate fonts to show very strong or very weak tendencies. My ENTJ rang relatively loudly compared to the IStj colleagues who seemed to be less outward about their types, as expected. On a team of 10, we had 7 “I” members and only 3 representing “E.”

The Growth of a “Team”

At first it was awkward. Getting everyone to own their type and not feel “type cast” was difficult. When an “E” went on and on, the team learned to remind them they were dominating. When an “I” appeared to be withdrawn or overwhelmed by the energy in the meeting, fellow introverts would prop them up.

The team began to truly embrace their types, their colleagues’ types, and how to make it both fun while working to make the group better. The level of discussion on key topics grew accordingly.  

We succeeded by understanding each other and how we tended to behave in a group setting. Despite the discomfort many felt at the outset, the team learned how to appreciate the thoughts and perspectives of others while also being able to laugh at their own stereotypical interactions. At one point, one particular “E” was dominating so much that the “I”s grouped up and told him to let others speak.

Extending the Impact

Since our team had the responsibility to deliver new products to the market there were engineers everywhere. In all my years working in engineering-laden companies, introverts are ubiquitous. In fact, ISTJ is well-represented in these environments. Could we scale the ability to understand and bring out the best in everyone?

Our engineering leader ran a regular new product introduction meeting that included senior leaders, managers, and key engineers from multiple groups in the company. There were a lot of introverts in the room. Discussions were usually short and maybe a bit contentious. The teams needed to learn how to work together and allow each other to blossom.

It was during a discussion about a particular issue that spanned design and supply chain that the symptoms of poor team dynamics came out. One manager made an excellent and key point about a critical issue. However, what preceded the comment was deflating and typical of an ISTJ person who is known for being precise, “Well, I’m not the expert that is supposed to speak about this …”

The team was clearly in the ISTJ/INTJ mode of operations, always very precise, uncomfortable with a larger group and making points that might push against preconceived opinions or perspectives. The actions for the next meeting were reviewed and everyone went back to their cubes.

Ready for Prime Time?

We discussed the meeting and conversations that both happened and didn’t happen. The product meetings were scheduled biweekly this ineffective pattern of communication was bound to continue unless we took advantage of our new skills to guide it properly.

The next meeting went as expected – presentations were given, discussions ensued, action items were addressed and new ones were assigned.

This particular meeting was important in the process because we were approaching the date to declare the product ready for launch – a major milestone of the design handed off to the supply chain to execute. As the meeting headed toward closure, the lead engineer opened up the question to the floor to the question, “Are there any issues that anyone has that might prevent us from launching on time?”

Silence. And, more silence.

People squirmed in their chairs. As I looked out into the room most people were looking downward or away from the front of the room. The air was uncomfortable.

Sitting directly in front of me, my engineering VP looked at me and without words, we knew a different approach was needed.

Opening the Flood Gates

“Let’s go around the room one person at a time. If you have a question or concern, please let everyone know.”

It was as if the flood gates had finally opened after being stuck for eons. In a room of over 20 people, almost half of them surfaced questions and concerns about the readiness to launch. The list was great.

People who just sat there when asked to jump into the fray in front of their colleagues were now liberated to speak. Each of them had their chance, one at a time and they each took advantage of it. You could see the people in the back half of the rotation thinking about what they were going to say.

The discussion that ensued after the meeting officially closed was vibrant. No more “I’m not supposed to say this, but …” and no more silence. It felt like a heavy, wet blanket was lifted from everyone.

This practice became the norm in future meetings. No longer would introverts have to worry about jumping in – they knew that they’d have their chance. It even freed many to chime in more frequently in the group environment without the consternation they felt before.

Knowing how to unleash the power and knowledge of those less-inclined to speak out is a game changer.

How are you enabling the “I” on your team?

Michael Massetti is an Executive Partner with Gartner who really does enjoy being a supply chain professional! Seriously. All opinions are my own.

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)

MBTI is an introspective self-report questionnaire designed to psychological indicate preferences in how people perceive the world and make decisions. The MBTI was constructed by Katharine Cook Briggs and her daughter Isabel Briggs Myers. It is based on the typological theory proposed by Carl Jung who had speculated that there are four principal psychological functions by which humans experience the world – sensation, intuition, feeling, and thinking – and that one of these four functions is dominant for a person most of the time. The MBTI was constructed for normal populations and emphasizes the value of naturally occurring differences." The underlying assumption of the MBTI is that we all have specific preferences in the way we construe our experiences, and these preferences underlie our interests, needs, values, and motivation.” There are 4 unique dyads leading to 16 different types. E stands for extravert and I stands for introvert represent the individual’s focus – the outer world (E) or the inner world (I). Read more here.

Other articles by Michael …

• Unleashing Introverts – Penetrating that Outer Protective Shell
• Desirable Employees – Who to Hire, Who to Keep, and Who to Ditch!
• Why you must give 100% all of the time … and, it's not for them!
• You've Come A Long Way, Baby!
• Do Men Have A Clue About Women?
• The Summer of My (Supply Chain) Discontent
• Dealing With Big Data: From Quants to Smarts
• So, You Really Enjoy Being a Supply Chain Professional?
• Are Supply and Demand Driving You Crazy?
• Tech Support During Computing’s Jurassic Era
• How Centerfield Made Me the Leader I Am Today!
• Are You Afraid of the Danger Zone?
• Your Next Career Step – Anticipate or Fear “The Fork in the Road”?