My revelation
I picked up a book during a training course. It captivated me and I couldn’t put it down. It explained to me who I was and the benefits of being an introvert.
As we recently marked World Introvert Day on 2 January – appropriately the quiet day after the festive season – I have reflected on my experience.
Background
My first role was as a bid writer for a national training provider. I loved the intellectual challenge of understanding the requirements of a specification and answering questions to promote the training course offer. I had great focus and worked in detail; the thought of attending meetings, with the expectation to talk and answer unexpected questions, filled me with dread.
After a few years my confidence had grown and I was fine in meetings when I was prepared and had a goal to achieve, but when I tried to network and meet new people or visit new places I would still struggle.
The Introvert Advantage
It is no exaggeration to say that borrowing that book during a break in the management training course changed my life. It was the Introvert Advantage: How to Thrive in an Extrovert World and I read it with a sense of shock, repeatedly thinking ‘that explains the time when…’ as it gave me solutions to so many unanswered questions.
I suddenly understood why I struggled with large, noisy spaces and spontaneous conversations:
The room is a sea of people … My stomach tightens. My breath quickens. I feel like retreating
Noise, colors, music, new faces, familiar faces, eating, drinking, smells- everything can cause brain overload … just physically being around a lot of people, friend or foe, drains energy from introverts.
The Introvert Advantage: How to Thrive in an Extrovert World, by Marti Olsen Laney, Psy.D. p159–160.
How I work
When I have a mission or need to speak to specific people, I am fine in large rooms. I have made presentations and sat on panels at conferences and had no problem, as I arrived with content ready and had some idea of what to expect. Afterwards, I then needed quiet time to wind down, recharge and reflect on the adventure.
I have always preferred quiet conversations, and I like to work and plan in small groups behind the scenes. The book helped me to understand that was because of how I am wired; it is who I am and I shouldn’t be ashamed of it.
The discovery helped me realise that I shouldn’t measure myself against others, as I have skills and strengths that they don’t have.
The benefits of being an introvert
I saw that introverts like to work on long complex problems, often independently, and have good levels of concentration and attention to detail. They need to understand a task, think deeply and reflect before making considered contributions. They are good at listening to the ideas of others, building meaningful relationships and solving problems.
Project management
These attributes have played an important role in my work.
As a project manager, I have assessed the work of others and drawn-out common themes and recommendations that I then summarised in reports or webpages.
At the start of working relationships people have often dismissively told me that I would need to ‘toughen up’ if I want to succeed. Yet, in my own quiet and distinct way, I have had a very successful career and produced significant results.
I often reply that ‘it’s funny how my projects tend to come in on time and within budget, and generally have high levels of appreciation’.
At the end of projects, I have had many people say that they have seen my project management as ‘best practice’ and that they would try to work the same way in the future – subsequently others have related stories of poorly managed projects that could have been better had I been involved.
Editing
Editing is a solitary profession; as an introvert this fits me perfectly. I love the time alone that allows me to concentrate on a text, starting from a position of having no knowledge of it, to being able to offer the author advice on how to clarify their message.
I have the stamina and discipline to work through long documents and I can identify authors’ objectives and messages and provide supportive queries and feedback.
Editing has brought me full circle. In my early career, I relished the chance to understand a specification, answer questions and create the best possible bid. Now, with over 25 years of experience, I get to analyse authors’ messages and offer alternative perspectives, ideas and support to help them achieve their goals.
Confident as myself
Although I wish I had read the book much earlier, it made me comfortable with who I am and gave me confidence, as I really could see that being an introvert was an advantage.
Details: The Introvert Advantage
Laney, Marti Olsen, Psy.D. The Introvert Advantage: How to Thrive in an Extrovert World, (New York: Workman Publishing Company, Inc., 2002).
CIEP article
Text from this post was included in a CIEP article: Using introversion as a strength in editorial work.