A few columns ago, I wrote about the differences in the ways introverts and extroverts prefer to communicate and how great bosses get the best from both. I heard from a young editor I respect, Lisa Glowinski of the Rockford (Ill.) Register Star. She's one of a dozen Poynter McCormick Change Leadership Fellows this year, recognized for their work in leadership and innovation.
Lisa's title must take up two business cards. She's editor of the Register Star's GO, Life&Style and People of the Rock River Valley sections and assistant editor of the Rockford Woman magazine.
That's a lot of copy for a person who is anything but wordy. Lisa is an introvert -- far happier thinking than talking. But she's developed strategies for making herself heard and offered to share tips for other quiet leaders. So permit me to pipe down and give the floor to Lisa Glowinski, who has a lot to say about introverted bosses:
I've always been an "I," but as a manager I've been expected to act more like an "E," which has been uncomfortable to say the least.
I'm finally coming around by finding my "inner extrovert." Here are some tips for others in a similar situation.
Extroverts get energy from others' ideas; we introverts prefer to work inside our heads. That's not always a plus when you're managing staff or talking with sources. I've created my own game when talking with people to force myself out of my shell: I ask question after question after question so I don't freeze up and let the conversation fall into awkward silence, and I usually get information I wasn't even after.
For example, when a woman called to complain there was nothing for seniors in my section, I asked what things she'd like to see. Twenty minutes later, she had told me about two new restaurants I could review for my column, and I had ideas for at least three articles. I would have had nothing but bitterness if I had hung up the phone at her first sour word.
Extroverts talk things through; introverts want to think before we speak. A great trick to balance the two is to recap the ideas expressed already before saying your opinion, such as, "Well, I heard Larry say (idea X) and Ellen say (idea Y), and my thought is ..." This will give you a bit of time to craft your answer, as well as a way to appease extroverts in the room who either are flustered by your silence or think you aren't engaged in the conversation.
Extroverts can speak off the cuff; introverts want time to prepare. Admit when you're unprepared for a meeting or discussion, rather than trying to bluff. I've never been able to talk my way out of anything, but I've found when I'm upfront and honest, I get more time to prepare or I actually was more prepared than I thought.
Extroverts can "work a room"; introverts prefer to stay in the office. I tried to be an in-the-office, behind-the-scenes features editor for three years; it didn't work. People need contact with editors, not only your bosses and your staff, but your readers.
This year our features section got much more interactive with weekly contests and questions, a Twitter feed and more commenting on our Web site, and I've been amazed at the positive response. One person I gave a prize to even bought me a book from my Amazon wish list. The grumpy, mean Web commenters and callers spoil it for the whole. Readers (and don't forget staff) are grateful when you answer their questions in person, hear their concerns –- not via e-mail -- and give them face time.
Face it, introverted editors, people want a piece of you. Don't be intimidated by that. Be secure in your listening skills and in the knowledge you're helping your newsroom and your community.
Because your bosses and co-workers probably assume you're shy, unfriendly, a snob or a daydreamer, you have to work to overcome those misconceptions. But don't hate extroverts because they're different. We can learn a lot from them. Be patient as they talk through ideas, keep you on the phone or forget what you told them yesterday. And learn from them.
Thanks to Lisa Glowinski for her words of wisdom. In today's podcast "What Great Bosses Know about Quiet Leaders," I share some additional tips for when introverts need to make certain they're in the spotlight.
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