Journal Entry # 2 Susan Cain, The Power of Introverts
Objective
Susan Cain’s TED Talk video “The Power of Introverts,” is based on her book Quiet: The Power of Introverts in A World That Doesn’t Stop Talking. (2013) She described how from an early age she was discouraged from spending time reading or alone with her thoughts and encouraged to be more boisterous and outgoing. Over time she adopted that persona even though she secretly yearned for a bit of solitude and tranquility. She goes on to describe how in the last century western society has devalued the contributions of the stoic deep thinker and instead celebrates the virtues of the socially adept and sociable individuals.
Reflective
My initial reaction was excitement over her observations because my experiences mirror her own and I really connected with it as the story unfolded. I was always introspective as a child and always read voraciously and spoke infrequently. As time passed I became more outwardly sociable and talkative, but it was more like a role play or second skin.
Interpretive
Survival is a fundamental trait of all people. I think as society devalues those qualities of introspective people, they learn to adapt or hide their nature. Unfortunately the deck is stacked against them. Group work and sociability are highly valued both in the academic world and in the workplace. When extroverts desire recognition, and introverts do not care, it creates an imbalance in the workplace where the loudest get accolades and promotions disproportionately.
Those who are extraverted typically desire to be known by others, while those who are introverted do not view recognition as significant (Jung, 1971)
Cain listed Three Calls for Action:
1. Stop Constant Group Work
2. Go to a contemplative place and unplug and recharge
3. Act upon your instinct for introversion
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is a psychological profile test used to determine personality type with four pairs of dichotomies leading to 16 possible results. One of the pairings is extravert vs. introvert.
Cain also credits the work of Adam Grant. His study (2011). Reversing the extraverted leadership advantage: The role of employee proactivity describes
Drawing on dominance complementarity theory, we propose that although extraverted leadership enhances group performance when employees are passive, this effect reverses when employees are proactive, because extraverted leaders are less receptive to proactivity. (Grant et al, 2011)
I think it bears remembering that being an extrovert or introvert occurs on a sliding scale and can also be situational. I may like the classroom environment when delivering a lesson but I don’t like major group projects that are susceptible to being hijacked by one or two dominant personalities.
Decisional
Cain takes a fascinating look at the emergence of extrovert dominance in society and outlines a plan on why the trend should be reversed and the benefits of encourage more time for quiet thought and more value being placed on individual contribution over collaborative efforts because group of passive and shy people can be dominated by a more forceful personality type that might not necessarily be intellectually or organizationally superior.
An example of a Myers-Briggs test is available here.
I think it bears remembering that being an extrovert or introvert occurs on a sliding scale and can also be situational. I may like the classroom environment when delivering a lesson but I don’t like major group projects that are susceptible to being hijacked by one or two dominant personalities. Cain tries to raise awareness of the traps of extrovert domination and to encourage small changes to promote the contributions of the introvert and re-normalize those behaviours.
As an introverted individual I need to step up my awareness of the group social dynamic and realize it is beneficial to seek praise and recognition and to let my voice be heard.
References
Cain, S. (2013). Quiet: The power of introverts in a world that can't stop talking. Random House LLC.
Grant, A. M., Gino, F., & Hofmann, D. A. (2011). Reversing the extraverted leadership advantage: The role of employee proactivity. Academy of Management Journal, 54(3), 528-550.
Jung, C. G. (1971). Psychological types. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Pres.
Myers-Briggs test from http://www.gccramona.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/FIT042214_MBTI-TEST.docx
Objective
Susan Cain’s TED Talk video “The Power of Introverts,” is based on her book Quiet: The Power of Introverts in A World That Doesn’t Stop Talking. (2013) She described how from an early age she was discouraged from spending time reading or alone with her thoughts and encouraged to be more boisterous and outgoing. Over time she adopted that persona even though she secretly yearned for a bit of solitude and tranquility. She goes on to describe how in the last century western society has devalued the contributions of the stoic deep thinker and instead celebrates the virtues of the socially adept and sociable individuals.
Reflective
My initial reaction was excitement over her observations because my experiences mirror her own and I really connected with it as the story unfolded. I was always introspective as a child and always read voraciously and spoke infrequently. As time passed I became more outwardly sociable and talkative, but it was more like a role play or second skin.
Interpretive
Survival is a fundamental trait of all people. I think as society devalues those qualities of introspective people, they learn to adapt or hide their nature. Unfortunately the deck is stacked against them. Group work and sociability are highly valued both in the academic world and in the workplace. When extroverts desire recognition, and introverts do not care, it creates an imbalance in the workplace where the loudest get accolades and promotions disproportionately.
Those who are extraverted typically desire to be known by others, while those who are introverted do not view recognition as significant (Jung, 1971)
Cain listed Three Calls for Action:
1. Stop Constant Group Work
2. Go to a contemplative place and unplug and recharge
3. Act upon your instinct for introversion
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is a psychological profile test used to determine personality type with four pairs of dichotomies leading to 16 possible results. One of the pairings is extravert vs. introvert.
Cain also credits the work of Adam Grant. His study (2011). Reversing the extraverted leadership advantage: The role of employee proactivity describes
Drawing on dominance complementarity theory, we propose that although extraverted leadership enhances group performance when employees are passive, this effect reverses when employees are proactive, because extraverted leaders are less receptive to proactivity. (Grant et al, 2011)
I think it bears remembering that being an extrovert or introvert occurs on a sliding scale and can also be situational. I may like the classroom environment when delivering a lesson but I don’t like major group projects that are susceptible to being hijacked by one or two dominant personalities.
Decisional
Cain takes a fascinating look at the emergence of extrovert dominance in society and outlines a plan on why the trend should be reversed and the benefits of encourage more time for quiet thought and more value being placed on individual contribution over collaborative efforts because group of passive and shy people can be dominated by a more forceful personality type that might not necessarily be intellectually or organizationally superior.
An example of a Myers-Briggs test is available here.
I think it bears remembering that being an extrovert or introvert occurs on a sliding scale and can also be situational. I may like the classroom environment when delivering a lesson but I don’t like major group projects that are susceptible to being hijacked by one or two dominant personalities. Cain tries to raise awareness of the traps of extrovert domination and to encourage small changes to promote the contributions of the introvert and re-normalize those behaviours.
As an introverted individual I need to step up my awareness of the group social dynamic and realize it is beneficial to seek praise and recognition and to let my voice be heard.
References
Cain, S. (2013). Quiet: The power of introverts in a world that can't stop talking. Random House LLC.
Grant, A. M., Gino, F., & Hofmann, D. A. (2011). Reversing the extraverted leadership advantage: The role of employee proactivity. Academy of Management Journal, 54(3), 528-550.
Jung, C. G. (1971). Psychological types. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Pres.
Myers-Briggs test from http://www.gccramona.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/FIT042214_MBTI-TEST.docx