I have been struggling over the past few days to feel inspired to write something on this blog. Saying anything about the current lockdown felt impossible, given the huge volume of material written by others covering every aspect, but also necessary. Reading this excellent blog post by Professor Hazel Hall has unstuck me.
In the spirit of counting my blessings, here are ways in which I am (very) lucky.
- Most of the people who are important to me are physically well.
- I have paid work that is interesting, and which I can do from home.
- I have a home in which to live and work, and even though a family emergency has taken me away from it, I am able to live and work safely elsewhere.
- I am naturally more of an introvert than an extrovert.
The point about introverts suffering less in this crisis has been covered extensively but let me say quickly that I am not a smug introvert. It took me a long time and a breakthrough moment discussing Myers Briggs results on a leadership development course many years ago to realise that I am on balance more of an introvert. It’s surprising that it took so long, really, but like a lot of introverts in leadership roles, I have had to adapt.
The introvert in the extrovert workplace
I long ago got over the worst of my fear of public speaking and have become much more comfortable working in teams. Extraversion is usually more valued in the workplace, so we adapt. If I had been a more extreme introvert, I would have no doubt chosen a different line of work. I’m not at all sorry about adapting as I have learnt so much and have been privileged to work in and lead some fantastic teams. Time spent with close friends one-to-one or in small groups remains a joy and I can even cope with occasional parties. Recognising that I need time on my own to ‘recharge’ has been really important, though, and in recent years I have felt more comfortable in prioritising time to read, do puzzles or exercise alone – basically, to retreat into my own head for a while.
The problem in lockdown for me is the lack of contrast. Either because I have adapted or because I was always a mild introvert, I have always enjoyed my alone time more as hours savoured in the middle of a busy and often sociable life. I value all the video Zooming, Facetiming, Teaming, Webexing and so on for both work and what passes for play these days, but of course it’s not the same as the full human experience of physical presence. I still value my time alone but my introvert batteries feel fully recharged and I am struggling to find a way to put that energy to good use. I can channel it into online work and domestic activity, but that doesn’t always feel like enough. I miss the challenge and the stimulation of being part of a larger group.
Hoping for the best of both worlds
The lockdown seems to have made many of us more aware of our extrovert or introvert tendencies. It has certainly made me realise that this is not straightforward for some of us, and that our preference may change from day to day or even hour to hour. I know I will always value my time alone, but I hope I will be more conscious of the pleasure I get from working with teams and socialising in groups in future. I have tried over the years to support colleagues in adapting the working environment to suit their preferences, particularly those who are more strongly introvert and who need a space to retreat from full-on, open-plan, noisy collaboration. I hope in future I will be more conscious of others in the middle ground who need the noise as well as the retreat.
Great article. The problem we face now is how to centre the swing. Until lockdown we swung towards office based activity. The day after it began we swung to 24/7 at home. In a finance driven context, companies will look for excuses to reduce office costs and the swing could remain 24/7 working from home. Post this crisis we need to adapt to a central but flexible approach to how and where we work – A style to suit both the introvert and extrovert. The centre should be focused on bring both groups together as they both need each other.
I wonder how much of the present success is down to relationships being made in an office before we were all scattered. It is much easier to sustain relationships online if they’ve been forged with longer contact, but much harder, I believe to form relationships online.
I would start from the same hypothesis, Fiona, but here we are engaged in a mass experiment to test it. I am now working on one project with some people whom I have never met face-to-face, and there is a good chance that we will complete at least the first phase with only online communication. Lots of other people must be in the same boat. It will be good to reflect on all of that experience.