A friend commented how alike my daughter and I are. “Surely, you are kidding,” I responded. Those who know me and my daughter Erica say she is quiet and I am gregarious. Weeks later I learned more about our commonalities and developed a greater appreciation for our differences.
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is a self-assessment tool resulting in a personality code. My daughter and I are analytical, systematic, and practical. We both get things done yet differ in our approach. I am an extrovert who verbalizes my thoughts and collaborates with people. She is an introvert who internalizes her thoughts and works independently. Neither type is better than the other. They are simply behavioral preferences.
As a business consulting educator, I met a student who told me he was an introvert. He asked for resources to help him better engage with others. In class we teach people to develop networking, teamwork, and public speaking skills. All three require students to be verbal, an easier task for extroverts. I had not considered the extra effort required of introverts.
In exploring resources on this topic, I learned two important facts:
· There is zero correlation between assertiveness and good ideas.
· Introverts prefer 1-on-1 meaningful interactions.
People bring value to conversations in different ways. Introverts prefer to internally process before verbalizing. Extroverts like me need to stop and listen to introverts like Erica. She may speak in a quieter voice, but what she shares holds great value.
I’m Anissa Kuhar and that’s my perspective.
