Tales of an Extrovert in the Remote World
A recent episode of Skillsoft’s podcast, The Edge, about introversion and leadership caught my attention. As a result, I have been noticing more about both the effects and consequences of my personality on my work.
I have always been a textbook extrovert. Being an extrovert is a blessing and a curse, especially as a student. I find myself thriving in group projects and team environments, but growing up I always found myself struggling to stop my conversations when the teacher would stop talking (the only reason I ever had to turn my behavior card from green to yellow). I am confident that my extroversion will help me in my career journey, but am also aware of and ready to counteract the ways in which it might hold me back from unleashing my full potential.
When we entered the Covid-19 pandemic, I truly could never have anticipated the ways in which it would change our lives. One of the most pervasive side effects of the pandemic has been the change in the working landscape. Two years later, as we all continue to adjust to this ever changing lifestyle, I am transitioning from school to the workplace. The majority of the jobs on the market today are still relying on remote options for their employees. The fact that everyone is somewhat accustomed to this style is remarkable for many reasons, one being the flexibility of work now. However, remote work also comes with a long list of detriments, and one that I cope with every day is the fact that remote environments are not well suited for the classic extrovert.
Extroverts get their energy from being surrounded by other people. My extroversion means that my best ideas come from discussion and brainstorming with others. It means that I like to talk through problems rather than working through them on my own. It means that a conversation with another person can recenter my focus and recharge my battery better than a cup of coffee can. My introverted counterpart would like to come up with ideas and problem solve quietly and independently. They like to spend time alone in order to feel energized and refreshed. With acceptance and grace, extroverts and introverts can complement each other very well, especially in a work setting. However, although I cannot speak for introverts (or even all extroverts), the external work environment may put us at a disparity — and a remote environment can privilege an introverted worker.
As an extrovert, working from home can be more exhausting than refreshing. Being alone actually makes us extroverts feel drained and unmotivated. These phenomena make moving into the workforce feel intimidating when I used to feel so confident about being a “people person” and how it would advantage me in the workplace. While I formerly envisioned myself sitting in roundtable discussions and chatting about work over coffee after meetings, I am now adjusting to new tactics that make me feel just as energized when working online and independently. Instead of feeling incapable, I am learning ways to still feed my extroverted spirit and adjust to working online.
Below are three huge reminders that I have developed after many long conversations with myself about how to enjoy working while still being as productive as possible:
1. Go out on a work date.
Although office spaces have not been as quick to follow suit, other businesses are now slowly opening back up. With this in mind, plenty of public spaces are open for workers. It is simply comforting to be surrounded by people as an extrovert, even if you are not constantly striking up conversation. Whenever I have lots of tasks or deadlines, I make sure to spend the day with my laptop in a coffee shop. The notion that our bedrooms now double as our workspaces is not functional for my extroversion. Since being alone can feel draining, being cooped up in a space that is designed for solitude can dramatically impact my work strategy. I find it very important to change environments when I get in a rut or need to feel extra motivated.
2. Prepare a considerate schedule and take breaks.
With complete honesty, if I am not careful, I will find myself checking my phone far too often throughout the day. I long for any glimpse of the outside world or a tease of an interaction with another person. Some people call it the curse of the “screenagers ” — also known as my generation that has grown up with cell phones and social media — but I find it to instead be a longing for an interpersonal connection that can feel lacking during the workday. To be careful and not let my personality type interfere with my performance, I make sure to have a well thought out schedule that incorporates my needs into my day. When I take a break for lunch, I get excited about possibly bumping into my roommates, or sometimes I take that time to call my mom and hear about her day. Making time to check in with the world, rather than guiltily and inevitably getting distracted has really helped. I am slowly learning to accept that getting my energy from others is not wrong, and if that means I must schedule in some time to ask my friends how their day is going, then so be it. But denying myself of a necessary recharge will get me nowhere. Like I said, extroversion is a blessing and a curse, so that makes accepting and adjusting so important.
3. Appreciate virtual interactions and try to make them feel as human as possible.
I spend a large majority of my work week in virtual meetings. Although an extrovert will never feel the same jolt of energy in an online interaction as they do face to face, our meetings are still a very real experience that I am sharing with my coworkers. I have loved getting to know everyone on my team via our remote work so much. Reminding myself to be present in these interactions makes them feel more real and reduces my longing for the real thing.
Being distant from others since the beginning of the pandemic has not been easy, but it is the end of the world for us extroverts. If we make the effort, not only will extroverts adjust to the remote world, but we can eventually find ways thrive once again even when working online.
