Looking for more readers for her own website, Jennifer Bell scoured the internet for suitable blogs to be a guest blogger. As many people do, she found Business and Life Tips for Introverts to be interesting and encouraging. While she tells me she is new to blogging I can tell by the quality of her work that she is an experienced and well-worth reading writer. Welcome and thank you to guest blogger, Jennifer Bell.
- You may have a business or life plan that you are studiously working to bring to reality. At some point in time, other voices, visions, and critques may get in the way of your process, take you off track or even muddle the results. However at critical points in the game, encouragement or critique is what we need to hear, either to get us jumpstarted or back on the path. When is it time to take the hard medicine?
Know Your Introvert Strengths
In the fast-paced and noisy world, introverts can feel alone. But the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator reports that the population is actually split 50/50 between introverts and extroverts. Both personality types are valid ways of experiencing the world. Introvert qualities include thinking before speaking, and then thinking about it again after you speak. They draw energy from quiet, focused environments, and becoming quickly drained of energy in highly active, people-filled environments. If critique comes from an extrovert extolling the virtues of their own extrovert qualities, you may ignore this. For example the virtues of technology like online social networking and email make business communication easier for introverts these days.
Introversion/Extroversion is a spectrum, extroverted qualities can be practiced and get stronger, although studies show that introverts who act like extroverts quickly use up their energy stores. If you would be more successful with more extrovert qualities, maybe seek help from or partner with an extrovert.
Use you Introvert Strengths
If someone comes to you with an offer to help, take the time to consider what this person is offering to give you. If you feel accosted, overwhelmed, defensive, or insulted do not melt down. Tell them you will think about it. Then take a step back to consider the situation, possibly at a later date and time when you can critically analyse what the other person is offering. Help may be a distraction, but it also may be what you need to clarify or push the project forward.
Introverts thrive on gathering and parsing information. If something feels like a problem, then it is okay to go to trusted friends, colleagues or family and ask them for honest advice. More information is usually the better option. If you need professional advice from a boss or stranger, you need to seek it out using a method that makes you feel comfortable. And always come prepared with questions and points of interest for the interview. Everything is progressive, if things are not feeling right and you need an outside perspective or expertise, go and get it. Your introvert brain will thank you for putting that critical piece of the puzzle into place.
What does it take for you to ask for other peoples’ help? How is not asking for help working for you? Please let Jennifer and me know in your comments below.
This guest article was contributed by Jennifer Bell from Health Training Guide. Check out her site to learn more about medical office manager training and other exciting health careers.