Is your personality affecting your productivity?

Some new insight on the questions of – WHO'S MORE PRODUCTIVE, INTROVERTS OR EXTROVERTS?

To answer this question we must first understand exactly what these two words are fundamentally describing. Often when people are asked to define these words they will offer a simply explanation such as:

            - Extroversion is how outgoing                     you are.

            - Introversion is how shy you are.

However what these two terms in fact describe is the source from which you derive your energy, and as we all know people who have more energy are usually more productive.

-       Introverts are more likely to gain energy by spending time away from others. Typically they will lose energy from being around people, especially large crowds.

-       Extroverts gain energy from social interactions. Most often they find that they feed off of the energy of others, and are more likely to loose energy when they are by themselves.

In Susan Cain’s book Quiet, she explains that people with more introverted behavior tended to be more sensitive to stimuli than people without these traits. When tested, it was shown that introverts salivate more than extroverts if you squeeze lemon on their tongues. Therefore introverts can be easily overwhelmed by social situations, which can decrease productivity.

So what can you do to help yourself better manage your energy levels and ultimately maximize your productivity?

If you are feeling more introverted, you can:

-       Take a Minute: Try to schedule some down time between meetings in order to recharge before your next social interaction.

-       Dive Deep: Craft your opportunities in such a way that you are able to take the time to dive into complex problems and come ups with clear solutions.

-       Identify: As was outlined in To Sell is Human by Dan Pink, introverts are naturally skilled at attuning to other people in a one-on-one environment, which shows that introverts can have high levels of social intelligence. 

If you are feeling more extroverted, you can:

-       Bring On the Chaos: People who are more extroverted crave high levels of stimulation, so let them have it. Even if this means their schedules will be packed.

-       Positive Feedback: More than being social, extroverts love being validated socially. So go out of your way to compliment these individuals in ways that may embarrass an introvert.

-       Get Out There: The more experiences you’ve had, the more ideas you will have to draw from and the more creative you will be.

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