Introversion Turned Inside Out: Introversion Turned Inside Out Management Using Personality Types Deborah Shapiro Technical Communication Team Leader Biosense Webster (Israel), Ltd. Beth Barrow-Johnson MobileMedia Manager Motorola, Inc.


Before You Start: Before You Start Before beginning, please answer the following questions. For each question, pick the ONE answer that YOU agree with most. Do not answer with a view to the 'right' or 'wrong' answer. This quiz is to help you see what your opinions are before relating to the information we will present and discuss. At the end of the session/presentation, you will be able to measure your new learning against the opinions that you began with. Please print out your answers and bring them with you to the session, for reference.


Slide3: Everybody knows that: Technical writers are introverts Personality has nothing to do with getting a job done Technical writers are extraverts Personality and career are non-issues Being extraverted means that: You are very sensitive. You are talkative and outgoing. You are the life of the party. You are recharged by the outside world. Being introverted means that: You are painfully shy. You don’t like to be around groups of people. You have poor interpersonal skills. You are overly cautious and easily distracted. In a survey of Technical Communicators (TCs), what would YOU expect to find? Most (or Effective) TCs are introverted. Most (or Effective) TCs are extraverted. The amount of extraversion varies with the specialty. TCs are a combination of introverts/extraverts. When managing people, it is most important to: Try to treat people the same. Be honest about what works for you. Tailor your style to match each of your employees’ styles. Become more extraverted. When managing people, it is good to use personality tools to: Select job candidates. Decide who should get a bonus. Determine how to coach and direct work. Personality tools should never be used in the workplace.


Reapproaching Personality Types: Reapproaching Personality Types A New Perspective


Extroverts: Extroverts Gain energy Lose energy Introverts External world Sensory stimulation Inner world Solitude and quiet


What Does All This Have to Do WithTechnical Communication?!: What Does All This Have to Do With Technical Communication?!


Let’s Look at Our Work: Let’s Look at Our Work First rule: effective communication Does this include verbal skills? Good research and interviewing skills Does this include interpersonal skills? Open to new knowledge, quick learners Does this include the ability to adjust to changing environments? RE Burnett (1997) Technical Communication


Things We Look for in TCs: Things We Look for in TCs Quick Learner Motivation Curious andamp; Inquisitive Flexible in approach Aware of own limitations


These Qualities are Linked withPersonality!: These Qualities are Linked with Personality!


Hard skills: Hard skills Quantifiable Technical Professional Obscure Teamwork Communication Analysis Soft skills


Why is personality typing useful for leading teams?: Why is personality typing useful for leading teams? Soft skills are hard to quantify Soft skill issues are hard to identify Typing provides a good vocabulary People don’t/can’t always say what they want or need


We forget that people are different…: We forget that people are different… People respond to stress in different ways People are motivated by different things People respond better when receiving information in a form that is easy to digest


Two most common personality type tools: Two most common personality type tools MBTI (Myers-Briggs Type Inventory) Four-dimensional model Bimodal (either/or) distribution of scores on each dimension 16 independent types Primary function determined by Judger/ Perceiver preference Grounded in personality theory of Carl Jung (1971) FFM (Five-Factor Model of Personality) Five dimensions of personality Normal distribution of scores on these dimensions Emphasis on individual personality traits Preferences indicated by strength of score Experience-based model (not just theory)


MBTI: & Extroversion: MBTI: andamp; Extroversion Extrovert Introvert You are either Extroverted or Introverted Extroversion is defined by how you perceive or sense the world around you.


FFM & Extroversion: FFM andamp; Extroversion Extroversion is multifaceted and measured on a continuum from high to low


New Concept: New Concept Ambiverts Introverts Extroverts Extroversion


In an international survey of 223 TCs: In an international survey of 223 TCs  


Our assumptions are colored by MBTI research!: Our assumptions are colored by MBTI research! MBTI (Hackos andamp; Tilden, 1988) TCs are more introverted FFM (Shapiro, 2002) The majority of TCs are ambiverted


If you didn’t have enough to think about…: If you didn’t have enough to think about… Correlations to professional effectiveness, determined by Potentially objective information Responses on what TC issues are important Years of experience Professional activities andamp; publications


Correlations of extraversion to professional effectiveness: Correlations of extraversion to professional effectiveness


Putting Theory Into Practice: Putting Theory Into Practice Using Personality Typing as a Management Tool


Personality typing benefits: Personality typing benefits Resolve soft skill issues Intuitively pull information Create effective partnerships Improve relationships Foster diversity and teamwork Identify growth areas


Personality typing in real life: Personality typing in real life


Tips about typing: Tips about typing Consider the shades of grey People are not one type Under stress, most people are themselves Perspective versus reality


Top 5 pitfalls to avoid: Top 5 pitfalls to avoid No us vs them Don’t pigeonhole Don’t use type as an excuse not to grow Don’t get hung up on one sentence or one point Managers: don’t mandate testing for your team


The bottom line: The bottom line It's not the test or model that’s important…it's the analysis that's important


Summary: What have we learned?: Summary: What have we learned? Extroverts can enjoy working alone! The statement that 'most tech writers are introverted' is one perception based on comparisons to the average population, and one perspective of what 'extraversion' is


Summary: What have we learned?: Summary: What have we learned? Our personalities are part of who we are, so of course they effect our work! Let’s use this information for our own personal professional development Introverts, extroverts and ambiverts contribute to team development


Contact Us: Contact Us Deborah Shapiro Shapiro.debbie@gmail.com Beth Barrow-Johnson beth_barrow@hotmail.com


Tools to Try: Tools to Try Visit www.tickle.com. That site has many tools from light to heavy. FFM, Myers-Briggs, DISC, FIRO-B personality analysis tools Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode tool Situational Leadership training programs Also, don’t forget magazine surveys!


Selected References: Selected References Buchanan L.B. (1998) The impact of big five personality characteristics on group cohesion and creative task performance, PhD dissertation in Psychology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia Burnett RE. (1997) Technical Communication, Wadsworth Publishing Company, Belmont. Howard P.J. and J.M. Howard (1992) The Big Five Quickstart: An introduction to the five-factor model of personality for human resource professionals, Center for Applied Cognitive Studies, http://www.centacs.com/quik-prt.htm (accessed April 2001), and published in June 1992 (Vol. 60, No. 2) special issue of the Journal of Personality: ‘The Five-Factor Model: Issues and Applications.’ Kroeger and Thuesen (1989) Type Talk: The 16 Personality Types That Determine How We Live, Love, and Work, Dell R.E. Lucas et al. (2000) J. of Personality andamp; Social Psychology, Vol. 79, No. 3, 452-468 Aiken L.R. (1997) Psychological Testing and Assessment, ninth edition, Allyn and Bacon, London Myers I.B. and Myers P.B. (1980) Gifts Differing: Understanding Personality Type, Davies-Black Publishing, Palo Alto, California