While I had a thoroughly enjoyable time eating, visiting family, eating, skiing, hosting family, eating, playing games, finally fixing all the little things around the house that have been loose, burnt out, broken or just plain annoying, eating, hiking, visiting friends... and did I mention food (there were 2 turkey dinners)?
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It's like I fell off the blogosphere, and was banished from the Twitterverse.
Did anything interesting happen while I was gone?
I'm back in the office now, and the frenetic pace we all love has started up again, and surprisingly, so is the flow of ideas that gave muse to all my other postings.
For me, the writing is an instrument that allows me to organize my world. I'm really beginning to see that now.
Blogging is part of my survival in the fast pace of "getting much done".
Over the break, I did get to do a bit of reading.
I have done almost every personality assessment known to consultants, and while Myers-Briggs had the Introvert/Extrovert continuum, all I really knew about introverts is that being one wasn't exactly a ticket to the corner office in most organizations. Being an extrovert was viewed as desirable.(I'm an ISTJ in case you were wondering)
It explains why you can't shut me up when we talk about effective technology implementation or educational reform, buy why I can barely put two words of a conversation together on topics I don't know much about (Monster Trucks and why people enjoy tofu fall in this category).
What the book frames well is that introverts can thrive in an extroverted world, they need to understand where their energy comes from (hint, it's not from large groups of boisterous people) and how they need time to process ideas before acting or responding (it drives my wife nuts).
Introvert's brains are wired differently (really), and they get their 'Happy button' pushed from much different stimuli than extroverts. They need their time alone.
Introverts are not shy or aloof. It's not that they don't enjoy the company of others, it is just that they need their batteries charged up before going into these situations.
According to the book, approximately 25% of us are "Innies", and we've become very good at blending in to the extroverted culture.
If any of this resonates with you, I suggest you get a copy of the book and learn a little more about what makes you tick.
It will make you a better leader. A better person. And much easier to live around.
If you are reading this and it all seems like a weak attempt to park one's butt on the couch instead of doing something useful or fun, then you are likely an extrovert.
I suggest you read the book as well. One in every four people you meet are likely nodding their heads with me at this moment... at least after they've had a chance to think about it.
I read this book a few years back, Kevin and I nodded along with every chapter. I also handed it out to a couple of high school kids who were having some conflicts and were concerned that they perhaps weren't "normal" in some way.
ReplyDeleteThe biggest problem I see is that we introverts KNOW these things. What we need to do is get that message out to everyone else so they don't think we're antisocial, elitist or upset when we want to spend time alone.
Bill,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment. I agree... the word has to get out. We really do like people, just not all the time, in large batches. The outward energy flow to stay in this melee is what really differentiates us. Thankfully, my better half appreciates that I need a balance of alone/interacting to maintain my cheerful disposition.