Extroverts vs introverts: making the workplace work for everyone

In every workplace, there are many different kinds of people, all working together towards similar goals. However, there are two classic personality types that you’re likely to encounter – introverts and extroverts. Both are suited to very different types of environments, and an extrovert may struggle in a space where an introvert thrives, and vice versa. 

You can make the most of these two personality types by tailoring your workplace to suit them. But how can you get the balance right, and find a happy medium that suits everyone? We take a deeper look.

Extroverts and introverts

So, what is the difference between these two? Extroverts are defined by the fact that they gain energy by socialising and being around people. On the other hand, introverts prefer quiet and are energised when they have solitude. It’s vital to take a look at both personality types in the workplace and understand that while the stereotype may apply to many people, everyone is unique and will react differently in a variety of situations.

Who is office culture for?

It may not be obvious, but much of modern in-office culture is designed around extroverts. Even though many businesses have embraced the online world and accept more distance working methods, such as holding meetings over Zoom, they may still tend to cater to extroverts over introverts; workplaces increasingly focus on collaboration and open plan spaces that encourage constant communication. This can mean that introverted people can feel left out, or need to mask their natural reactions and behaviours. While you may not immediately notice this, over time, introverts can feel the emotional toll of this, causing wider problems.

Quiet workspaces can be challenging to extroverts – and introverts may be tired by the extroverts!

Extroverted employees can be eager to speak up and collaborate, and may like to talk a lot more than less extroverted employees – and they may accidentally talk over more introverted employees. This is often completely unintentional but can cause further issues for introverts who are trying to be an active part of the team. This can be a serious barrier when you’re looking to improve company culture. Introverts may prefer to work in silence for a couple of hours at a time and may find a nearby extroverted co-worker very draining to listen to. Introverts may prefer to work with headphones on to drown out background noise and deter any overly chatty colleagues from striking up a conversation!

Changing your workplace

It’s possible to change your workplace and tailor it to meet the needs of both introverts and extroverts, allowing both to shine. For example, allow extroverts to carry out customer-facing tasks or cold-calling, while introverted employees can play to their strengths with research and behind-the-scenes work. Both will have their own strengths and weaknesses, and by assessing and understanding them, you can create a comfortable and functional environment that everyone can be a part of, fully developing team culture.

With both introverts and extroverts in your team, you can create a comfortable space for everyone and get the best out of all of your team members. If you want to create the best team for everybody, then Shooksvensen can help you with essential company culture training so you can make the most of each employee and teach them to improve the way they collaborate with each other and learn to take charge and become better future leaders themselves.

Image source: Unsplash

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