Speak No Evil

I'm an introvert and to spice things things up a little, I've got a smattering of social anxiety that flares up from time to time.  Until recently I've been able to work quite happily and successfully in many corporate settings as a writer/researcher.  I can assume the mannerisms of the extrovert-in-charge, and like other introverts, I enjoy a balance of the two styles of relating to my environment. 

What's different now compared to five or more years ago is that expectations in the workplace -- among management -- have shifted.  I'm noticing in job advertizements as well as in interviews and my conversations with colleagues in the field, that social and science researchers are increasingly being challenged to compete like extroverts.  That is, managers and CEOs who are hiring at present seem to want people who can not only DO the work and explain it to THEM, they want somebody who can do all of that PLUS be able to pull off a powerpoint presentation for the Board of Directors (as an example).  And they want people who are smooth social networkers -- LIVE social networkers that is.  People they can take to conferences and have work the room etc. 

(image courtesy of Darren Robertson: www.freedigitalphotos.net)

 

I've been wondering how to add value to my blog, but I realized that the best thing I can do is to write about my experience as an introvert seeking employment in an extrovert-dominated world because I know I'm not unique.  This year in particular I've had a lot of hilarious experiences, and, as you can imagine, many heart-wrenching experiences -- all of which I've learned from and I hope you might too.

I also have a lot of strategies and I keep finding lots of great resources, so I'm aiming to make this blog source for references. 

Before I sign off for tonight, I'll leave you with a book recommendation.  I just finished reading Sian Beilock's CHOKE: What the Secrets of the Brain Reveal About Getting it Right When You Have To -- it's excellent! She's done a lot of work with high performance athletes and top performing professionals.  The book describes her research into the reasons why people choke, or fail to perform when the stakes are the highest and then some strategies for overcoming the problem. 

Her website is here: http://sianbeilock.com/  it's just about the best thing I've come across for performance enhancement (and it's drug-free!).