Thanks for the suggestion, Taina! I looked it up on Amazon and it looks like an interesting book. Here's a link to an article about that book, from an engineering website:
http://www.todaysengineer.org/2004/Nov/review.asp . From what I've heard, many engineers, lawyers, auditors, etc. are Introverts.
Since I first brought up this issue in the context of workplaces and email, let me add that it seems to be a characteristic of Introverts to mull things over and not always speak up in meetings. Such a person may well end up sending a long email with his/her perspective to colleagues or to a boss some time after a meeting has concluded. That could annoy people who don't understand some Introvert characteristics.
The best bosses I've worked for are the ones who've understood that their employess have different characteristics and hard-wiring. Hence my criticism of the boss in the NYT article who threatened to fine her subordinates who sent her "unnecessary" emails. She would have done better to think about what they were doing and why. And to train her employees to use standardized keyword headers within their email subject lines, such as FYI, BKGROUND, ACTION, FOR YOUR MTG, etc. Then she could set rules to automatically send email to folders, based on such keywords. That would enable her to more easily read ACTION and FOR YOUR MTG items first, FYI type items later. A simple thing like that would help her prioritize her mail! Do any of you get involved in individuals' e-files management (as opposed to records management) or have opportunities to offer this type of advice to overwhelmed executives struggling with their email?
My agency did Myers Briggs testing of its employees over ten years ago, when many federal agencies studied Total Quality Improvement. It can be an interesting indicator but, as some articles point out, isn't entirely foolproof. My job requires critical analysis and fact-based reasoning. When I took the test, I wasn't always sure if I was supposed to respond how I typically reacted in a workplace setting or in a social setting with friends. My Myers Briggs type reflects many of my characteristics, but not all. Like most people, I have my work persona which is a little bit different from my home persona. So, I find Myers Briggs useful but not foolproof.
Maarja
>>> [log in to unmask] 11/11/05 9:20 AM >>>
Further to Maarja's postings of the introvert/extrovert links, here's
another resource about introversion:
The Introvert Advantage: How to Thrive in an Extrovert World, by Marti
Olsen Laney.
Cheers,
Taina Makinen
Vital Records Specialist
Canadian Tire Corporation
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