
4 Key Considerations When Managing Introverts In Technology Teams.
I had the opportunity to hear Susan Cain, author of Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, speak about the misunderstanding of introverts in a largely extroverted dominated Western culture, particularly in business and finance.
As I internalized her comments and later read her book, I realized that this thesis had rang true in the organizations that I have held leadership positions in.
Many technology teams I was involved with had a very diverse composition, but I believe statistically leaned more to the side of classic introversion.
You can ‘pick out’ those more introverted as they tend to work best alone, are “quiet” and calculated, self sufficient, good listeners, etc. Those that are extroverted are visible, act first then think, work well in groups, and enjoy talking.
Early in my career, Myers Briggs profiling ‘painted’ me an introvert.
But over time I adapted extrovert traits — thinking out loud, multi-tasking, leading teams, public speaking — with the results of another, later self-profiling tool suggesting I was more of an ambivert.
Upon reflection, I realize that this enabled me to empathize with team members on either side of the personality spectrum pretty well.
I knew which extroverted team members would be — for example — motivated when pushed in a group setting.
But I also learned that when managing more introverted team members I would need to:
- Separate those with exceptional technical ability from those who are able to lead — often introverts are happiest as operators as opposed to managers.
- Not view ‘silence’ or a team member who is ‘quiet’ in meetings as somebody who is not assertive — rather give them more room and space to think, and gather their thoughts. Introverts generally prefer ‘quality’ input over ‘quantity’ in social interactions.
- Give them their own latitude to work in an environment that suits them the best.
- Take the initiative to reward/ acknowledge their work, as often introverts like to let their actions speak louder than their words — but still appreciate their efforts being recognized.
Extroverts — by their very nature — command more ‘attention’.
But the ability to recognize and adapt your style of leadership to those who are more introverted is of significant importance when looking to leverage the full potential of your team.
Why?
It may mean that the most quiet person in the room may be the most capable.
It may mean that by going to open floor seating, you could be risking alienating a large portion of the team and have a reverse effect on collaboration.
It may mean that the talkers and the most ‘assertive’ may not actually be the strongest team members.
Hopefully you get the point.
As a leader, when we manage and make decisions we should be respectful and conscious of these inherited traits.
Something I would always tell my team is that we can’t change one’s DNA — but to maximize the contribution of your more introverted team members, adapt to their their intrinsic traits to create the optimal environment that will leverage their productivity.
