Behaviors in Context Matter
From the pmStudent Blog
by Josh Nankivel
Ranting and raving about project management and systems engineering.
Recent Posts
The Problem with Project Management
The Problem with Project Management
The Problem with Project Management
LinkedIn Recommendations Are Easy
The Catch-22 of Project Management Certification and Experience
Categories
Agile,
Career Development,
Certification,
Change Management,
Communications Management,
Cost Management,
Documentation,
Earned Value Management,
Education,
Integration and Test,
Kanban,
Leadership,
Lean,
Lessons Learned,
Methodology,
Misc,
Multitasking,
New Project,
Operations,
Planning,
PMP,
Productivity,
Professional Development,
Project Estimation,
Project Leadership,
Quality,
Requirements Management,
Risk Management,
Schedule Management,
Scope Management,
Software,
Systems Thinking,
Tools,
Video,
Work Breakdown Structures (WBS)
Date
In a recent post Bas de Baar asked the question, "Are Introverts More Suited For Virtual Leadership?"
It's a good post with some thought-provoking ideas, but I take issue with some of the premises.
Let me explain.
Behavior Matters
In the feedback model I endorse and use, the focus is completely on observeable behavior, not on attitudes or wishy-washy generalizations.
The same goes for parenting. I strive to give timely feedback to my sons when they have done something good or bad specifically regarding their behavior, not general platitudes such as "You are a good boy."
And the same concept can be applied to this question. There are no 'introverts' and 'extroverts' in my view.
That's a false dichotomy.
Instead, every person engages in actions (behaviors) every day which are both with people and without people. And in different contexts, interactions which may be seen as easier for 'extroverts' may actually be easy and fullfilling for an 'introvert'.
Context Matters
I am what some people would classify as a traditional 'introvert'. But stop trying to label me!
I'm not so comfortable going up to people I don't know and introducing myself out of the blue at a networking reception or other social event.
But I'm extremely comfortable with my teams, new team members, and even getting up in front of many, many people to give a presentation on a topic I know a lot about.
People who observe my behavior in one context would classify me as an introvert. Others who see me leading teams or teaching would probably say I'm an extrovert.
So Which Is It?
I'm I an introvert or an extrovert? The answer is neither. And neither is anyone else in my view.
Without getting down to specific behaviors and context, it's not a very fruitful exercise to ask me.
What do you think? Leave a comment now and share, you extrovert you.
Posted on: July 15, 2011 05:47 PM |
Permalink
Comments (8)
Please login or join to subscribe to this item
Wai Mun Koo
PMO Director| Intergraph PP&M
Singapore, Singapore
I agree with you on the context part. I have seen people who are not so chatty when seeing them in actual person but able to talk a lot over instant messenger (IM). Below is something interesting I found in Wikipedia.
"Extraversion and introversion are typically viewed as a single continuum. Thus, to be high on one is necessarily to be low on the other. Carl Jung and the authors of the Myers-Briggs provide a different perspective and suggest that everyone has both an extraverted side and an introverted side, with one being more dominant than the other. In any case, people fluctuate in their behavior all the time, and even extreme introverts and extraverts do not always act according to their type."
In addition, I would also think that the extrovert and introvert definitions are relative in general similar to 'Good vs. Evil', 'Big vs. Small' etc. In the absence of a single common base reference, it is not easy to determine if a person is more towards introvert or extrovert in nature, though we may still comment that a person is more introvert or extrovert than another person.
I had commented on this post over in The Project Shrink as well.
I'm not a fan of labels...I can see where they may be useful if you don't have the opportunity to actually observe behaviors, as a kind of short-hand to get a general idea of the kind of person you might be dealing with For example, someone looking for advice on a client might start with "I have this client--kind of type A, high-maintenance--and he's been worried about..." However, I tend to cringe when people lead with their Myers-Briggs type, as if I need know nothing further. I also find that labels tend to be more divisive than anything else.
Wai Mun Koo
PMO Director| Intergraph PP&M
Singapore, Singapore
erin, true enough, labels are not very 'humane' in certain ways. I have seen time and again that people label someone as 'technical' and avoid passing non-technical tasks to him, thereby, depriving him from the rights of any opportunity to try out and develop in other areas. This is bad stereotyping.
Dave Gordon
Project Manager| The Practicing IT Project Manager LLC
Las Vegas, Nv, United States
I addressed the question a couple of weeks ago from the standpoint of the "clinical" definitions of introverts and extroverts, as measured by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Assessment.
http://blog.practicingitpm.com/2011/07/09/introverts-and-extroverts/
For me, it's a matter of how effective your personal style is in managing projects and interacting with people. You can be effective with either preference, as long as you remain comfortable with your own behavior and how people respond to you.
Leam Hall
PM Apprentice| Smartronix/DoD
Pulaski, Va, United States
The Introvert and Extrovert label is very useful if you don't know where your energy comes from. Introverts are more drained by dealing with people, extroverts are energized. Don't abolish the concept because you don't like to be labelled; understand that it is useful in some contexts.
The main use for this particular label is helping people understand who they are. As an introvert I need to deal with people all the time, and it exhausts me. Knowing that I am drained by such interactions reminds me that I need to spend time outside of interactions to recharge. Telling someone I am an introvert helps them get a mental picture of who I really am. Telling my boss that helps him or her understand why I go for walks around the building and don't join in a lot of the loud water cooler sessions. The boss then knows that I'm not being stand-offish but am just being natural for me.
Keep the label but use it properly.
Thomas Soam
Project Manager| BDA
Seremban Ns, Ns, Malaysia
Yes, I agree with the view of Dave "it's a matter of how effective your personal style is in managing projects and interacting with people. You can be effective with either preference, as long as you remain comfortable with your own behavior and how people respond to you. "
Ian Whittingham
Managing Director| Calixo Consulting
Golden Cross, East Sussex, United Kingdom
Project managers need to be adept at changing their own preferred styles of interaction with team members to suit the specific context that a project situation demands. The Belbin team roles classification is a good starting place to do this, and provides all project team members with a roadmap to adopting the best communication styles to work effectively with each other. For more on Belbin see this article http://www.gantthead.com/content/articles/251826.cfm
Hans Robbers
Senior Director| Salesforce
Vlissingen, Netherlands
Interesting discussion.
For me I do believe in situational leadership. Your style accommodating the situation and the need of the others involved is one of the virtues of the pm I would say. Facilitating is the key here and once this is being walking in front of the team and energizsing them and other time it can be listen and reflecting the discusion.
Being flexible is a great skill for a pm
Please Login/Register to leave a comment.
