Quantcast
Channel: Prosek Partners' Unboxed Thoughts » TIME

The Quiet Influence of Introverted Communicators

0
0

When I took the famous Myers-Briggs Typology Test to determine the most suitable occupations for my personality, I was a little disappointed when it categorized me as an introvert. In my mind, the term “introvert” conjured the image of an anti-social hermit, hiding out in the woods somewhere. Moreover, picturing my future self as a recluse didn’t exactly coincide with my dream to pursue a career in communications.

Introvert vs. Extrovert Presidential Candidates (Source: Time / Getty Images)

For this reason, I was pleasantly surprised by last week’s TIME Magazine cover story, which highlights the hidden advantages of the introverted personality and clears away the stigma clouding the term. The article was inspired by Susan Cain’s recently published book, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking. In another essay for TIME, Cain explains shyness and introversion are not the same:

“Shy people fear negative judgment, while introverts simply prefer less stimulation; shyness is inherently painful, and introversion is not. But in a society that prizes the bold and the outspoken, both are perceived as disadvantages.”

In fact, introversion also has little to do with sociability or emotional intelligence, says psychologist Marti Olsen Lany Ps.D., author of The Introvert Advantage. The difference between personality types is more about how the brain processes information and energizes itself. For extroverts, says Olsen Lany, the processes of thinking and talking are essentially the same. Extroverts organize their thoughts by talking and gain more energy by seeking outside stimuli. Introverts on the other hand, store information, reflect first, and then speak afterwards. They feel most rested and rejuvenated after they spend time alone, thinking or reading.

The two personality types also have different communication styles. According to Olsen Lany, extroverts tend to be great leaders and orators because they communicate verbally constantly, and with ease. Introverts on the other hand, tend to be better listeners and writers because they like to digest and analyze information before choosing to respond.

The introvert’s ability to listen can prove to be a strong leadership skill. Contrary to the energetic, fast-talking executive often depicted in movies and television, introverts can also make surprisingly great leaders. It has been reported that 40% of executives are introverts including Bill Gates, Charles Schwab and Warren Buffet.  Their leadership success is in part due to their ability to encourage proactivity from their employees, says Cain:

“As adults, introverted leaders have even been found to deliver better outcomes than extroverts when managing employees, according to a recent study by management professor Adam Grant of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, because they encourage others’ ideas instead of trying to put their own stamp on things.”

This concept of empowering the entrepreneurial spirit of employees by listening to their ideas, rather than top-down management, is exemplified by CJP’s own business model.

This is not to say that extroverts cannot be great leaders too. But, as Susan Cain explains, possibly the most creative teams consist of a combination of both “innies” and “outies,” for instance:

The famously charismatic Steve Jobs teamed up with powerhouse introverts at crucial points in his career at Apple, co-founding the company with the shy Steve Wozniak and bequeathing it to its current CEO, the quiet Tim Cook.

While it may be obvious why introverts make great tech whizzes, it may be less apparent why they would be essential in the communications world. However, I think Cain and Olson Lany’s findings reveal that in the public relations field specifically, a combination of introverts and extroverts can create a dynamic team. By combining the strengths of both introverts (writing and listening) and extroverts (oral presentations and phone calls) teams can create better pitches, press releases and presentations. The different personalities can also help each other to improve their communications skills; extroverts can encourage introverts to voice their ideas and opinions more, while introverts can teach extroverts to be better listeners and to put more thought behind their words.

So, if like me, you’ve tried to reject your inner “innie,” embrace it! Some of history’s greatest communicators (including introverts like Ghandi, Martin Luther King Jr. and Thomas Jefferson) effectuated great changes in the world because they knew how to listen. CJP

Christina Spellman is an intern at CJP Communications.


Share:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • email
  • Print

Media Navel Gaze: February 4, 2013

0
0

The Week Unpeeled

The US employment report propelled markets even higher last week after a robust January, with pretty impressive numbers for this economy, with non-farm rising by 157,000 jobs and November and December numbers revised upwards by a total of 127,000 jobs. The unemployment rate ticked up to 7.9 percent last month (a new normal level?), and US saw real growth decline in the fourth quarter (down 0.1 percent) but markets charged ahead nonetheless.  The Dow ended up 149 points on Friday to close at 14,009, the highest close since 2007 and up 6.9 percent since the start of the year.

Elsewhere:

  • Blackberry changed its name to Blackberry (remember it was really called RIM) and launched a new phone that got pretty good (not universal, though) reviews;
  • The iconic black cabs of London were bailed out by a Chinese automaker;
  • The Washington Post is moving out of its headquarter office of four decades to a newsroom unknown;
  • Time Inc. is cutting 500 from its staff, or 6 percent;
  • Television (?) series “House of Cards” debuted with Kevin Spacey this weekend on Netflix, receiving more media attention about its unusual distribution (all episodes available immediately on Netflix) than its content;
  • The New York Times (and other media outlets) reported that their records have been attached by Chinese hackers, coinciding with reporting on The Times investigation about wealth of China’s prime minister;
  • News and talk dribbled out about changes at CNN under new chief Jeff Zucker, with Chris Cuomo hired away from ABC;
  • The Super Beyonce Commercial Bowl amid reports that some of the TV ad actors were lip synching;
  • Former New York City mayor Ed Koch died with local media bestowing heaps of seemingly well-deserved tributes/praise; and
  • The TV comedy “30-Rock” bid farewell last week, with Tina Fey, the star and writer, honored with a Ben & Jerry’s named after her character Liz Lemon (probably better now than making the cover of Time). End of Story

Share:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • email
  • Print

Media Navel Gaze: May 27, 2014

0
0

Media Navel Gaze

The Week Unpeeled

The New York Times management-change story seemed to escape much of the spotlight by the end of last week with attention turned to mergers and some high-profile corporate charges, allegations and fines, with AT&T agreeing to acquire DirecTV for $49 billion, blurring the lines between mobile, cable, video and pay TV.

Elsewhere:

  • Google was reportedly in talks to buy Twitch a live video-streaming service;
  • Credit Suisse pleaded guilty to criminal tax charges in helping customers evade taxes;
  • Barclays was fined last week 26 million pounds for gold rigging;
  • The US Justice Department, meanwhile, charged Chinese military officials for allegedly hacking US computer computers in an effort to steal trade secrets;
  • Time and Sports Illustrated have started to put ads on the cover, a first for a big publisher in the US (put you kinda have to really look for it under the bar code) put a significant step nonetheless;
  • Thailand’s military staged a coup, the second time in about a decade that the army has ousted the government; and
  • The markets rallied last week with the S&P closing at a record high of 1,900 and the Dow at 16,606. End of Story

Share:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • email
  • Print

Forbes Frat Party Drama Symptom of a Bigger Editorial Problem

0
0

Forbes_Article_100114Forbes recently found itself on the wrong side of the national dialogue around college campus sexual assault when site contributor Bill Frezza posted a blog entitled, “Drunk Female Guests Are the Gravest Threat to Fraternities.” The post was quickly removed from Forbes.com, but not before generating controversy and leading to strongly worded responses on both sides of the discussion from Bloomberg VIEW, TIME and The Boston Globe, in addition to the usual suspects.

Regardless of where you stand on the frat bros vs. drunk girls debate, there is a bigger journalistic issue at play. How could a blog post of this nature end up on Forbes.com, a publication that purports to be the must-read magazine for business leaders and billionaires? And how much editorial control does Forbes actually exert over its hundreds of contributors?

Forbes Contributors are a diverse group with a rather amorphous label, encompassing both veteran journalists like Bill Baldwin and Ken Rapoza, juxtaposed with a hodge podge of consultants and miscellaneous other self-declared subject matter experts with an occasional penchant for self promotion.

For those who are not actual journalists or freelance writers, the qualifications to become a Forbes contributor are vague, bringing into question whether or not these writers actively abide by journalistic ethics, particularly when they are explicitly paid according to clicks.

The creation of the Forbes Contributor network was intended to give Forbes a competitive edge in the blogosphere where it’s up against the Huffington Posts of the world. Without adequately scaling its editorial staff to keep its many non-staff writers in-line and on-brand, however, Forbes runs the risk of tarnishing its reputation every time one of its contributors self-publishes.

Frezza’s controversial blog post wasn’t his first off-kilter rodeo. Last month, he had a piece entitled, “Ban Kegs From Fraternity Parties? Require Them Instead!” It’s click-bait at best; but an ongoing stream of pieces like it from the Forbes Contributor network just don’t bode well for a publication that is known for serious journalism. End of Story

Share:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • email
  • Print

Media Navel Gaze: December 15, 2014

0
0

Media Navel GazeThe Week Unpeeled

Hack Attack: If you don’t want it read (because it will likely be hacked and made public), don’t email it.  So learned Hollywood bigs this week, as Sony head Amy Pascal and others were victims of the work of Guardians of Peace, an anonymous group that targeted Sony Corp email accounts, which led to pretty juicy headlines (read The New York Post for some of the best coverage especially on pretty racial comments about President Obama’s assumed movie tastes and everything nasty about Angelina Jolie).

Elsewhere:

  • Crude-oil prices continue to sink, sending stocks sharply lower, a positive for consumers at the pump but a drag on oil-producing companies and an increase in talk of deflation on the overall economy;
  • That led to the markets biggest weekly loss in three years, with the Dow plunging 3.8 percent for the week and some 315 points alone on Friday to end at 17,280;
  • Bloomberg, the terminals chief, seems to be cleaning house, making some terminal decisions for at least one long timer, with News Editor-in-Chief Matt Winkler stepping down, replaced by John Micklethwait from The Economist; Winkler will assume the new role of emeritus editor-in-chief;
  • San Francisco Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner was named Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year;
  • Ebola fighters were named Time people of the year;
  • Congress passed a spending bill to avoid a government shutdown; and
  • In a win for Bitcoins, Microsoft will allow the currency to be used to pay for certain products. End of Story
Share:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • email
  • Print

Media Navel Gaze: January 5, 2015

0
0

Media Navel GazeThe Week Unpeeled

Last week was marked by traditional year-in-review reviews in a year full of big news from the Ukraine, the Middle East, Ebola, the World Cup and the Olympics to cheap energy, gay marriage and Pope Francis.  Odd that Ebola Fighters got Time persons of the year” (I’d vote ISIS or energy prices, events that truly changed the global landscape), but the really big winners were the US markets, where stocks surged to its sixth annual advance in a row, with the blue chips up 7.4 percent, closing out the year at 17,823, and well over 100 percent since The Great Recession.

 Elsewhere:

  • The US dollar continued its rally to an 11-year high, which no doubt will impact foreign debt payments; the greenback rose some 12 percent in 2014 alone;
  • Financial media have increased their focus lately on whether the strength in the US markets will continue amid weaker economies overseas;
  • The US put sanctions in place against North Korea’s arms industry following the nation’s alleged hacking at Sony; and
  • The Interview does pretty well online. End of Story
Share:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • email
  • Print

Working Hard? Or, Hardly Working?

0
0

prince-akeemTook dead alewives off a beach. Packed crackers in a factory. Cut threads off of fluffy toilet seats in a factory. Made thousands of bows, earrings and bead necklaces to help support the family. Sorted shell casings at a bullet factory. Bussed tables. Waitressed. Cleaned up {insert waste of choice} for a veterinarian. Washed pots, pans and dishes at a restaurant. De-thorned roses at a flower shop. Sandwich artist. McDonald’s.

And, yes, those are some of the character-building opportunities had by Prosek’s best and brightest when they were young. We call them “dirty jobs.” It’s been our experience that employees who’ve had a “dirty” or “grubby” job when they were young are usually hard-working, roll-up-their-sleeves, results-oriented achievers when they’re old(er).

A recent piece on Time.com by Melanie Howard entitled “Every Teenager Should Be Required to Work a Grubby Job” casts a spotlight on the new generation and part-time work experience. In the piece, it states that between 1990 and 2012, the percentage of high schoolers with a part-time job dropped from 32% to 16%, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

There are lots of reasons for this decline – the economy or parents “wanting more for their kids” – but the fact is that teens are foregoing those part-time dirty jobs in favor of more prestigious experiences. Howard mentions elite sports camps, international study abroad and internships as examples.

Regardless of socioeconomic status, teens today should understand the value in working a non-glamorous part-time job – it’s all about hard-work, responsibility and learning humility – to become a well-rounded adult. Sure, studying abroad will give you the opportunity to see the world, but a dirty job will give you the opportunity to really see the world.

What was your dirty job? End of Story

Share:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • email
  • Print


Latest Images