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<b style="color: blue">Human Resource Associates</b>
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<span class="heading">HR - On The Job</span>
<p class="issue">Can Introverts Also Succeed In The Business World?</p>
<p>Most of us think of introverted people as low key personalities who are thoughtful, quiet and mostly keep to themselves. We observe that they're not very flashy or communicative. This is why many people think they are not likely to move up the ladder in the workplace.</p>
<p>Actually, introverts also tend to see themselves in very much the same way they're described here. They often struggle with several challenges in the workplace. Because of their low-key personalities, they normally underestimate themselves. They refrain from voicing their ideas and lack the social network that can help them get ahead. From their view that they are ignored, marginalized and misunderstood, and more than 40 percent say they would like to change their introverted tendencies but don't know how to begin. </p>
<p><i>Can</i> introverts succeed in the workplace? Can they learn to manage their personalities for success? Are there any really successful introverts in the business world? Well how about the richest man on the planet, Bill Gates? A self described introvert who early on found that to achieve his goals he had to adapt some of those introversion traits. For those of us who are introverts who also want to succeed in the business world, we will also have to adapt, and that takes time and effort. That time and effort may not make you the next Bill Gates, but it can help you be more successful in your workplace.</p>
<p class="section">What do we as coworkers know about introverts?</p>
<p>Although a quiet group in the workplace, by all accounts they outnumber extroverts. Actually a full 40 percent of high level executives describe themselves as introverts, including Bill Gates and Warren Buffett. Unlike shyness, which is a product of anxiety or fear in social settings, introversion is a key part of one's personality. It's the glass through which they you see the world and the method by which they function within it. Introverts process information internally, keep matters private and avoid showing emotion. They are the opposite of extroverts.</p>
<p><b>Extroverts:</b> Move to action with less thought process<br />
<b>Introverts:</b> Focus time on the thought process with action to come later</p>
<p><b>Extroverts:</b> Seek out other people<br />
<b>Introverts:</b> Prefer going solo</p>
<p><b>Extroverts:</b> Tend to speak out often. People often tune them out<br />
<b>Introverts:</b> Do not communicate much. People tend to tune in when they do</p>
<p><b>Extroverts:</b> Draw energy from other people<br />
<b>Introverts:</b> Are energized by being alone</p>
<p>Introverts seek depth over breadth. They like to dig deep and delve into issues and ideas before focusing on to the tough ones. They are drawn into meaningful conversations as opposed to chit-chat and they know how to tune in and listen. They prefer writing to talking. On the job they use e-mail over telephone unless it's absolutely necessary. They avoid excessive conversation and many will gravitate toward social networking websites. They have no desire to be the center of attention, preferring to fly under the radar. Even in heated conversations they tend to stay calm... on the outside, and speak softly and slowly. True introverts can actually experience "people exhaustion" wherein they have headaches, backaches, stomachaches and so forth, at work and yet feel fine off the job. They seldom ask for help and also have trouble saying "no". As a result they often feel overloaded with projects and deadlines. So how does a person with these almost anti-business tendencies adapt? And what must be adapted?</p>
<p>The American Management Association (AMA) has been training the world's managers, executives and leaders for almost 100 years. AMA provides a seminar by Author Jennifer B. Kahnweller, Ph.D. who conducted a two and a half year national study on introverted leaders. She has a lot to say about how introverts can step out of the shadows and into a more successful future in the world of business.</p>
<p class="section">Introverts moving onward and upward</p>
<p>Kahnweller says that there is no magic bullet for managing introversion. But introverts can still learn how to thrive in today's noisy business workplace. The goal is not to change their personality, or even their natural work style, but rather to embrace it and exploit it. She suggests that for introverts who want to move ahead, follow the "4 P's":</p>
<ol>
<li><b>Preparation.</b> Devise a game plan.</li>
<li><b>Presence.</b> Focus on the moment.</li>
<li><b>Push.</b> Stretch and grow.</li>
<li><b>Practice.</b> Rehearse and refine new skills.</li>
</ol>
<p>She offers these seven tips for getting started:</p>
<p class="section">Have a game plan</p>
<p>When it comes to the "people" part of your job, stop trying to "wing it". Prepare for those high stakes meetings and conversations. Anticipate possible questions and rehearse your answers. Just as you would strategize for key projects and tasks, plan ahead for connecting with people and take regular breaks to refuel your energy.</p>
<p class="section">Communicate early and often</p>
<p>It's easy for introverts to remain out of sight and out of mind. Take the initiative in sharing information with team members and project stakeholders. Don't wait to be asked for updates or news about your accomplishments. Find out what information people need to feel confident about your performance and provide it to them ahead of time.</p>
<p class="section">Match the medium to the message</p>
<p>Resist the temptation to hide behind the e-mail. It may appear to be the easiest or safest way to get the work done, but it's not always the best way. For each exchange, match the medium to the message, determining if texting, e-mail, phone or a face-to-face conversation is best. Texting and e-mail may be great for quick exchanges, but they miss the mark in critical high-touch areas such as developing relationships or delivering bad news.</p>
<p class="section">Use social networking to set your stage</p>
<p>Technology is a great tool for introverts. Use social networking web sites to set the stage before connecting with others in person at meetings and events. You can introduce yourself, send "news you can use" introduce new items and warm up cold projects, all in a low-key and friendly way.</p>
<p class="section">Make yourself heard</p>
<p>Make a conscious effort to speak up in meetings and conference calls. Try to make your first comment no more than ten minutes into the session. Even a quick question, remark or paraphrase will do. You need to be seen as contributing. Get in there early, the longer you wait, the harder it becomes.</p>
<p class="section">Don't shrink away from the "talkers"</p>
<p>Don't be afraid to get into the fray with talkers in the group or in one-on-one settings. There are several ways to get a word in edgewise. One simple sure-fire strategy is to hold up your hand, give the timeout signal and calmly announce, "I'd like to say something".</p>
<p class="section">Value humor</p>
<p>It's often been said by entertainer Victor Borge that "A smile is the shortest distance between two people". As a reserved, inner-focused contributor, you can overcome perceptions of being standoffish or too serious by smiling, laughing and having a little fun now and then. You don't need to "yuk it up", just be good humored.</p>
<p>Sounds tough for some, but practice, practice, practice gets you there. Learning new skills may be uncomfortable at first, but with repetition and refinement, you can manage your introversion and thrive in an extroverted world. And let's hear another word from Bill Gates speaking to a group of graduating students on our subject "Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll be working for one".</p>
<hr />
<p align="center"><b><i>Have an employment question?</i></b></p>
<p align="center">Send it to <a href="mailto:[email protected]?subject=From HR On The Job">[email protected]</a>.</p>
<p align="center">Please include Company Name and Association in your e-mail. Company identification will be kept confidential.</p>
<hr />
<p class="heading">Hitchhiking on the Information Highway</p>
<p><b>Dateline:</b> February 2010</p>
<p><i>(Note: Although we attempt to provide the HRU update on the first of each month, we are normally delayed awaiting the release of several monthly government statistical reports. We will hereafter update the information as each report becomes available without waiting for all of them to be released.)</i></p>
<p class="section">Who's Your Buddy?</p>
<p>When you have a problem at work, who do you turn to for advice, your best friend, your boss, your HR manager? And was that advice good or bad? Who do you think is the best person to ask for advice at work? Well, according to a new survey by The Creative Group, the worst place to go for advice is in fact, where most employees do go, to their co-workers. Although 25 percent of the respondents said they have never received bad career advice, almost 60 percent of them identified coworkers as having provided them with bad advice they wished they hadn't followed.</p>
<p>The national survey asked employees "Have you ever received bad career advice from any of the following (include all that apply):</p>
<u><span style="float: left">Bad Advice From</span>
<span style="float: right">Ranked</span></u><br />
<span style="float: left">Coworkers</span>
<span style="float: right">58%</span><br />
<span style="float: left">Bosses</span>
<span style="float: right">54%</span><br />
<span style="float: left">Parents/Relatives</span>
<span style="float: right">35%</span><br />
<span style="float: left">Spouses/Significant Others</span>
<span style="float: right">30%</span><br />
<span style="float: left">Mentors</span>
<span style="float: right">25%</span><br />
<span style="float: left">Never Received Bad Career Advice</span>
<span style="float: right">25%</span><br />
<p>What kind of advice did they get? That was as varied as were the problems. Many were told to "play it safe", "keep quiet", "stick with it", and "stay put". Others were told to take overly risky moves such as "walk into the CEO's office and say "we need to talk about my salary today!", or "quit and join that new start-up" which closed 6 months later. Some of the advice came with ulterior motives as when one colleague told a respondent to quit, and then went after (and got) her job.</p>
<p>Donna Farrugia, executive director of The Creative Group says, "As with any advice, consider the source. Although many managers and colleagues have your best interests at heart, the fact that your actions may affect them may color their judgment."</p>
<p class="quote">"It's not what happens to you,<br />
but how you react to it that counts"<br />
- Epictetus</p>
<p class="section">So Sue Me, Jackass!</p>
<p>Amy Epstein Feldman and Robin Epstein are the authors of a new book on employee lawsuits called "So Sue Me Jackass". It's a fascinating look at the kinds of lawsuits employees want to file, or are filing. They provide snappy answers, based on actual employment law, that provide often surprising information. Here are a few excerpts:</p>
<p><b>My free speech rights</b></p>
<p>"When my coworkers complained that I was hoarding office supplies I started calling them communists. My boss threatened to fire me if I kept it up. How is that not a violation of my free speech rights?"</p>
<p><i>So Sue Me, Jackass says:</i> "You're making the classic fourth-grader mistake - Yes, the first amendment grants you the right to freedom of expression, but it only applies to the government. The amendment only requires your government to give you the right to free speech. It doesn't apply to private entities, which are within their legal right to prevent you from freely expressing yourself on their time."</p>
<p>"When we start talking politics in the office, things get heated and angry. Can the company stop this talk?"</p>
<p><i>So Sue Me, Jackass says:</i> "Talking politics can be rough stuff. But companies can, in fact prevent employees from engaging in political discussions. Again, your "right" to free speech is only a right when dealing with the government. The constitution does not protect people from rules against what they can and cannot say in private entities like employers. Therefore, companies are well within their rights-and during a heated election may be well advised- to create policies that require collegiality among employees."</p>
<p><b>Working on holidays</b></p>
<p>"My boss is making some of us work on a holiday. Isn't it illegal to make people work on legal holidays?</p>
<p><i>So Sue Me, Jackass says:</i> Unfortunately for you, it's not illegal for an employer to make an employee work on a national holiday. It may be mean, but it's not illegal. And, under federal law, the employer is also not required to give employees extra pay or premium pay, or double or triple time for working on a holiday. However, if the employee is non-exempt under the FLSA, and working that holiday results in working more than 40 hours in that work week, overtime pay will be required."</p>
<p><b>Condition of employment</b></p>
<p>"If you want to have a workplace that's just "a little harass-y", can't you make it a condition of employment that the employees have to put up with that atmosphere? They can always turn the job down if they don't want it."</p>
<p><i>So Sue Me, Jackass says:</i> No you can't. "Don Charmey, CEO (and underwear designer) for American Apparel tried that approach. He warned all applicants for employment in words and deed (he conducted interviews in his underwear) that the environment fostered by the company was one of sexual openness. If applicants didn't like it, they shouldn't take a job here. The argument didn't work. Unwelcome sexual advances, request for sexual favors and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature constitute sexual harassment when it implicitly affects a person's employment or interferes with his or her work performance or creates an offensive environment. Simply telling an employee up front that the workplace will have harassment in it won't protect you in a lawsuit." Working in a non offensive environment is a federal right for every employee. No employee has the authority or right to surrender or sign away such rights.</p>
<p class="quote">"Since problems are the only excuse for government,<br />
solving them is out of the question"<br />
- P.J. O'Rourke</p>
<hr />
<p style="text-align: center"><sub>� William J. Cook</sub></p>
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<div id="sidebar">
<span class="heading">Labor Stats</span>
<hr />
<b>Federal Minimum Wage</b>
<hr />
<p align="center">
<b>$7.25</b>/hour<br />
</p>
<hr />
<b>Average Income</b>
<hr />
<p align="center">
<u>Hourly</u><br />
<span style="float: left"><i>January 2010</i></span>
<span style="float: right"><b>$18.89</b></span><br />
<span style="float: left"><i>January 2009</i></span>
<span style="float: right"><b>$18.43</b></span><br />
</p>
<p align="center">
<u>Weekly</u><br />
<span style="float: left"><i>January 2010</i></span>
<span style="float: right"><b>$629.89</b></span><br />
<span style="float: left"><i>January 2009</i></span>
<span style="float: right"><b>$613.72</b></span><br />
</p>
<hr />
<b>Federal Povery Level</b>
<hr />
<p>
<span style="float: left"><i>one person</i></span>
<span style="float: right"><b>$10,830</b></span><br />
<span style="float: left"><i>family of four</i></span>
<span style="float: right"><b>$22,050</b></span><br />
</p>
<hr />
<b>IRS Mileage Allowance</b>
<hr />
<p align="center">
As of <b>January 1, 2009</b><br />
<span style="float: left"><i>business</i></span>
<span style="float: right"><b>50</b> cents/mile</span><br />
<span style="float: left"><i>medical or moving</i></span>
<span style="float: right"><b>16.5</b></span><br />
<span style="float: left"><i>charitable</i></span>
<span style="float: right"><b>14</b></span><br />
</p>
<hr />
<b>Postage</b>
<hr />
<p align="center">
<span style="float: left"><i>1 oz</i></span>
<span style="float: right"><b>44</b> cents</span><br />
<span style="float: left"><i>postcard</i></span>
<span style="float: right"><b>28</b></span><br />
</p>
<hr />
<b>Population</b>
<hr />
<p align="center">
<span style="float: left"><i>world</i></span>
<span style="float: right"><b>6.8 billion</b></span><br />
<span style="float: left"><i>U.S.</i></span>
<span style="float: right"><b>308.6 million</b></span><br />
<i>one birth every </i><b>7</b><i> seconds;</i><br />
<i>one death every </i><b>13</b><i> seconds;</i><br />
<i>one new immigrant every </i><b>35</b><i> seconds;</i><br />
net gain: <i>one person every </i><b>11</b><i> seconds.</i>
</p>
<hr />
<b>U.S. Civilian Workforce</b>
<hr />
<p align="center">
<u>January 2010</u><br />
<span style="float: left"><i>Total</i></span>
<span style="float: right"><b>153,170,000</b></span><br />
<span style="float: left"><i>Employed</i></span>
<span style="float: right"><b>138,333,000</b></span><br />
<span style="float: left"><i>Unemployed</i></span>
<span style="float: right"><b>14,837,000</b></span><br />
<span style="float: left"><i>Want A Job</i></span>
<span style="float: right"><b>5,965,000</b></span><br />
<span style="float: left"><i>Unemployment Rate</i></span>
<span style="float: right"><b>9.7%</b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="float: left"><i>Absentee Rate</i></span>
<span style="float: right"><b>3.1%</b></span><br />
<span style="float:left"><i>- Female</i></span>
<span style="float: right"><b>4.2%</b></span><br />
<span style="float: left"><i>- Male</i></span>
<span style="float: right"><b>2.3%</b></span><br />
</p>
<p align="center">
<u>January 2009</u><br />
<span style="float: left"><i>Total</i></span>
<span style="float: right"><b>154,140,000</b></span><br />
<span style="float: left"><i>Employed</i></span>
<span style="float: right"><b>142,221,000</b></span><br />
<span style="float: left"><i>Unemployed</i></span>
<span style="float: right"><b>11,919,000</b></span><br />
<span style="float: left"><i>Want A Job</i></span>
<span style="float: right"><b>5,686,000</b></span><br />
<span style="float: left"><i>Unemployment Rate</i></span>
<span style="float: right"><b>7.7%</b></span><br />
</p>
<br /><hr />
<b>U.S. Workforce Productivity</b><br />
<sub><i>(The amount of goods produced, divided by the number of work hours it took to produce it)</i></sub>
<hr />
<p align="center">
<span style="float: left"><i>1992</i></span>
<span style="float: right"><b>3.7%</b></span><br />
<span style="float: left"><i>1993</i></span>
<span style="float: right"><b>0.5%</b></span><br />
<span style="float: left"><i>1994</i></span>
<span style="float: right"><b>1.3%</b></span><br />
<span style="float: left"><i>1995</i></span>
<span style="float: right"><b>0.9%</b></span><br />
<span style="float: left"><i>1996</i></span>
<span style="float: right"><b>2.5%</b></span><br />
<span style="float: left"><i>1997</i></span>
<span style="float: right"><b>2.0%</b></span><br />
<span style="float: left"><i>1998</i></span>
<span style="float: right"><b>2.6%</b></span><br />
<span style="float: left"><i>1999</i></span>
<span style="float: right"><b>3.3%</b></span><br />
<span style="float: left"><i>2000</i></span>
<span style="float: right"><b>3.4%</b></span><br />
<span style="float: left"><i>2001</i></span>
<span style="float: right"><b>2.9%</b></span><br />
<span style="float: left"><i>2002</i></span>
<span style="float: right"><b>4.6%</b></span><br />
<span style="float: left"><i>2003</i></span>
<span style="float: right"><b>3.7%</b></span><br />
<span style="float: left"><i>2004</i></span>
<span style="float: right"><b>2.8%</b></span><br />
<span style="float: left"><i>2005</i></span>
<span style="float: right"><b>1.7%</b></span><br />
<span style="float: left"><i>2006</i></span>
<span style="float: right"><b>0.9%</b></span><br />
<span style="float: left"><i>2007</i></span>
<span style="float: right"><b>1.9%</b></span><br />
<span style="float: left"><i>2008</i></span>
<span style="float: right"><b>1.8%</b></span><br />
<span style="float: left"><i>2009 1st quarter</i></span>
<span style="float: right"><b>0.3%</b></span><br />
<span style="float: left"><i>2009 2nd quarter</i></span>
<span style="float: right"><b>6.9%</b></span><br />
<span style="float: left"><i>2009 3rd quarter</i></span>
<span style="float: right"><b>8.1%</b></span><br />
<span style="float: left"><i>2009 4th quarter</i></span>
<span style="float: right"><b>+6.2%</b></span><br />
<span style="float: left"><i>2009 average</i></span>
<span style="float: right"><b>+5.1%</b></span>
</p>
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