A few months ago, I mentioned that I had received a copy of Nancy Ancowitz’s new book, Self-Promotion for Introverts®: The Quiet Guide to Getting Ahead. I’m sorry it has taken me so long to post my review - like many other introverts, I suffer from “so many books, so little time” syndrome, and have only recently managed to read it.

Since starting my business in 2002, I’ve had quite a bit of experience with networking and public speaking, and am now fairly comfortable with both activities, but I sure wish I’d had a resource like this in the beginning! The chapter on public speaking is especially valuable, and covers everything from exploring your advantages and challenges to preparation and delivery of your message, as well as other topics that I’d never even thought to wonder about, but that are equally important.

As a former career and employment counsellor, I was also impressed with the comprehensive chapter on job searching. Much of the information provided would be equally useful to extraverts (but shhh… let’s not tell them about it!)

I highly recommend this book, if you:

• are intimidated by the thought of attending a networking event or speaking in public
• are tired of being passed over by less qualified colleagues who can “blow their own horn” more easily than you
• are comfortable promoting yourself, but are interested in learning some new strategies

Unlike some self-help books, which offer only motivation or information, Self-Promotion for Introverts® is full of practical exercises to help the reader work through the processes described throughout. The information presented is right up-to-date and includes tools such as blogging, Twitter, and LinkedIn as suggested methods of communication.

Self-Promotion for Introverts® is available from Amazon.com and Amazon.ca.

I recently did one of those fun quizzes that tells you whether you’re an introvert or an extravert, but instead of the standard terminology, it asks Are You a Lava Lamp or a Disco Ball?

Not surprisingly, here are my results:

You Are a Lava Lamp

You are dreamy, relaxed, and contemplative. You like to get lost inside your own head. You never know where your thoughts will take you, and you consider reflection to be a wild ride. You’re happy to sit and be alone for long periods of time. You only do well with others who are like minded. You appreciate other peaceful, creative types. Great things can come when great minds get together.

If you’ve been reading this blog for a long time, you might recognize the name Nancy Ancowitz. Nancy is a Business Communication Coach who specializes in helping introverts excel through one-on-one coaching, presentations and workshops, and her blog, Self-Promotion for Introverts®.

Nancy has recently written a 13-page manifesto in which she dispels many of the myths and stereotypes around introversion and offers 10 strategies to help introverts succeed in a job search, which can be applied to other situations as well. She does a wonderful job of explaining what introversion is - and what it is not - making it a valuable resource for extraverts as well as introverts. You are welcome to download a copy of Self-Promotion for Introverts®: Get Heard More. Even If You Talk Less.

She has sent me a copy of her new book, Self-Promotion for Introverts®: The Quiet Guide to Getting Ahead, which I’m looking forward to reading, so be sure to subscribe to this blog so you don’t miss my upcoming review.

In a recent article in the New York Times, Success Isn’t Only for the Extroverts, Nancy described the dramatic changes that took place in her career after realizing she is an introvert and learning how to make the most of her strengths, instead of trying to be something she is not. It really is inspiring, and I encourage you to read it, especially if you face similar challenges.

Nancy Ancowitz is just one of thousands of successful introverts! If you feel that your introversion is standing in the way of your success, check out her resources and learn how introversion can actually be an asset.

That is, of course, a silly question. Both extraverts and introverts can be very organized, very disorganized, or anything in between. There are, however, some differences in the ways that introverts and extraverts manage their time and space.

In terms of time management, introverts like fairly long periods of time to focus on their current task. For this reason, they prefer a workspace which allows for privacy and concentration, and view people who stop by or call to chat as interruptions.

Extraverts, however, welcome people stopping by or calling to touch base, and prefer a workspace which facilitates this type of interaction.

Because introverts think before acting, they may be slow to act, and others may view the time they spend processing information as non-productive.

Extraverts are more inclined to jump quickly into an activity, often without allowing enough time for reflection. As a result, they may need to step back and redo some steps, which also hampers productivity.

Introverts may have a tendency to procrastinate regarding activities requiring interaction with others, such as making telephone calls. One thing that works for me is to get those tasks out of the way before I start my other work for the day. I can then relax and enjoy working on the types of projects I prefer, without the knowledge of those pending calls weighing on my mind.

Extraverts often dread such activities as organizing their home or workspace, but this task can often be made more interesting and effective if they work along with a group of people, whether it is friends, professional organizers, or a combination of both.

Introversion-extraversion is just one piece of the puzzle that makes up your personality type, and your organizing style. You can learn more about this subject in my new e-book, Organizing Your Life, Your Way. With this e-book, you can learn about your personality type and the ways it affects your relationship with time and space, and the reason why some people have more difficulty than others getting and staying organized. You will then be able to use your new understanding to develop organizing and time management strategies which work in harmony with your personal preferences.

Because even people who share the same type preferences have their own unique strengths, challenges, and systems that work for them, and because new organizing and time management products are developed all the time, I intend to continue my research and to publish an updated edition of this e-book in the future.

Please take a few minutes to share some information to help other readers to better understand themselves and others, and to develop their own organizing and time management solutions.

Simply go to http://tinyurl.com/your-org-style to answer a few questions. Be assured that no identifying information will be collected.

Thanks!

I’ve come across quite a few articles and blog posts lately that raise the question “Is social networking an introverted or extraverted activity?” It’s an interesting topic that I touched on briefly last year in a post called Social Networking: Introversion vs. Extraversion.

An unidentified author at oneIndia claims that social networking sites are turning extraverts into introverts, because people are increasingly using these sites to communicate with friends and family members in lieu of staying in touch by telephone. I have to disagree. For starters, extraverts don’t become introverts simply because they’ve chosen to communicate in writing (an introverted preference) rather than by telephone (an extraverted preference). They may prefer social networking because it allows them to easily communicate with many people and expand their social circle beyond those that they know offline. Actually, any credibility this author may have had was destroyed when they went on to say that people are watching less television and spending more time on social networking sites, since watching television is clearly a more introverted activity than social networking, so I won’t waste any more time on this article, which was brought to my attention by Patricia Weber, Business Sales Coach for Introverts.

[Read the rest of this entry »]

One of the hard things about being an introvert is trying to make people understand what it really means. In a recent interview at Someday Syndrome, I identified myself as being an introvert, and someone who only knows me online (with the exception of one telephone conversation) expressed surprise, because apparently I “have a wonderfully outgoing personality.”

I couldn’t really take offense when what she said was such a compliment, but the reality is that introverts are typically perceived as shy, snobbish, or anti-social. Although there are introverts who can accurately be described using one or more of these terms (including some who even describe themselves that way), I don’t think any of those words applies to me. In fact, I am quite outgoing in some situations, but no matter what quiz or personality test I take, it’s quite clear that I am in fact an introvert. I explained to my online friend that I’m not the shy kind of introvert, but am more focused on my thoughts than the outer world, and prefer to meet people one-on-one than in large groups.

Last week as I was working on a crossword puzzle (a popular activity for introverts, I’m sure), one of the clues was “Introverted?” I immediately got my back up, expecting the answer to reflect an inaccurate, if not derogatory, stereotype. As I began to fill out the intersecting words, I was delighted to see that the answer was in fact DRAWNINWARD. I wonder if it’s safe to assume that Frank A. Longo, who constructed the puzzle, is an introvert?

Leila Bulling Towne, an executive business coach, tells managers it’s time to start getting to know introverts.

She gives managers three tips for getting the best out of introverted employees:

1. Don’t rush to judge.
2. Silence doesn’t indicate agreement.
3. Give time for preparation.

Her message is that introverts think, then act.  To sum it up in my own words:  If we don’t respond immediately, it doesn’t mean we don’t know, don’t care or agree.  It means we’re processing it for a thoughtful response.

You can watch the full video here.

Does it ring true for you?

Sexual intercourse began
In nineteen sixty-three
(Which was rather late for me)—
Between the end of the Chatterley ban
And the Beatles’ first LP.
Philip Larkin (1922–1986), British poet.

Happy George Harrison’s birthday. I don’t usually have anybody to share this with, but wasn’t he a lovely introvert?

He was/is dear to my heart. Never met him, of course. I just spent an hour on YouTube delving into the George years. For the life of me, I can’t think of anything to say. Something … something that isn’t just plain history after all.

While My Guitar Gently Weeps
Here Comes the Sun
Something
My Sweet Lord

He invented the benefit concert – remember, the one he did for Bangladesh. Paul abstained, don’t know why. I’m without words just now. Maybe the quiet spirit of George Harrison is … nah.

Oh – I mustn’t forget to tell you. September 8, 1965 – Beatles Concert, Second Tour – I sat in Row J with my kid sister – George looked right at me.

“The Bouquet Residence, this is Hyacinth Bouquet, the lady of the house speaking.”
Do you remember Mrs. Bucket (Bouquet) from PBS British comedy? Well, she’s got a job working as a receptionist for my dentist. At least, it could be her, it certainly sounds like her.

Oh, how that woman loves the sound of her own voice. Here’s how she answers the phone: “Hello! This is Becky Mae Walton, the receptionist in the office of Dr. Harry Jones, the dentist, how may I help you today?” Too much information, don’t you think? I have had entire phone calls that didn’t last as long as her greeting.

I heard her call a patient’s office, to say he’d be delayed a half hour returning from the dentist. She used the whole self-introductory speech, only she ended it with “I am calling on behalf of Mr. Smith.” Only then did she get to the meat of the message and divulge the bit about Mr. Smith’s half-hour. That’s quite a build-up. She sounds like she’s accepting an Academy Award, or maybe awarding one. The person on the receiving end must have got a word in edge-wise, because the receptionist responded, “You can live without him for another half-hour, can you? HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!” And she scanned the reception area to see who else thought she was witty. I felt obliged to smile a little, not enough to encourage her, I hope.

And the dentist? He’s an introvert, as best I can tell. He doesn’t say much unless he’s got something to say. What a relief.

Here’s an interesting idea that I haven’t heard before, courtesy of Dr. Hans Eysenck: introverts have more cortical activity than extraverts. Ergo introvert brains are already full up, which is why we avoid external stimuli. Extraverts, on the other hand, have empty brains … oh, all right, have less cortical activity, which is why they seek stimulus outside of themselves.

Dr. Hans Eysenck (1916-1997) was a popular biology-personality doctor a few decades ago. His books include The Biological Basis of Personality, Know Your Own IQ, Crime and Personality, and The Psychology of Politics.

Some great thinkers get stuck in their own theories, which can separate them from their peers. (Freud comes to mind.) Eysenck accepted only pure science. He rejected Jung and Meyers-Briggs.

To my mind, Jung and Eysenck dovetail nicely, though I’m not sure either of them would be pleased to hear it. Unfortunately, that leaves me with a chicken-and-egg problem. Does higher cortical activity cause introversion, or is it the other way around?

Whatever the answer may be, I enjoy this cortical aspect of introversion. I look forward to the day when I can refer to my personality as Super Cortical, or even Mach I Cortical. Maybe I’ll be able to turn down invitations without offending anyone, since my cortex is all booked up and it’s not my fault.