Which are you? That was part of our discussion at the recent Company of Women meeting in Cambridge. Speaker, Carole Cameron, author of Splash, An Introvert’s guide to Being Seen, Heard and Remembered, was talking about the way introverts vs. extraverts network.
I was struck by the farmer vs. hunter analogy because in some ways it speaks to the way some of us network. For me a farmer is someone who sows the seeds, follows up and nurtures the relationship to bring it to fruition, while a hunter is someone in for the kill, who will “stalk” the prospective client after meeting them, to the point where there is only one winner, instead of a win-win situation.
It was an interesting discussion. As one member pointed out, the difference between introvert and extravert is that the latter will enter the room and say “here I am” while the introvert is very much “here you are.”
Carole pointed out that while extraverts are quite comfortable initiating, introverts prefer to respond. Social media has become a medium behind which the introvert can blossom but also hide. It is much easier to respond in this way compared to face-to-face. Extraverts on the one hand, prefer to communicate verbally, while introverts like to communicate in writing through articles, books and other publications.
I consider myself to be a “shy extravert” so I found it interesting that my networking preference was very much to “farm” and to build relationships one-by- one. All of which causes me to question whether I am really a closet introvert, or do we change as we get older?
What do you think?
1 comment:
There's another assessment called the Reiss Profile which is quite revealing and when measured with Myers Briggs gives us loads of new information.
My husband scores as an introvert but on the Reiss Profile he scores as high social contact. It seems like a contradiction when in fact it says - he is energized being with people yet he doesn't open up to them as extroverts might. As an introvert he needs to go inside to process whereas an extrovert needs to talk or write - externalize.
I think as we get older we do make a shift. There are time when I think I might be a closet introvert but push comes to shove I really need to connect with people or I get depressed.
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