How Extroverts And Introverts Are Different in Reacting To Change

When it comes to change and how extroverts and introverts are different, think out and in. In other words, it’s the difference between what one sees and how one sees it. For extroverts, it’s a change of scenery. For introverts, a change of eyes.

How Extroverts And Introverts Are Different

For instance, if we present new ideas or attitudes but don’t change any process, tool or system, to extroverts we changed nothing. Introverts are the reverse. If we change these outside things but not the ideas or attitudes behind them, it’s just change for change’s sake.

Changing the processes, tools and systems changes the scenery. Changing ideas and attitudes change the eyes, how one sees things. Both are not new. They show up at work all the time. Experts often say, “To change behaviors, change processes.” Others say, “Change the culture.”

Seeing how extroverts and introverts are different in their reactions to change helps to make sure our communications about change reach more than one type of personality.

Changing The Scenery Versus Changing The Eyes

For extroverts, changing the scenery means focus on behaviors and activities. Did these change? Extroverts have a harder time with qualitative changes than introverts do. It needs to show up in some new behavior or activity.

That could mean a new process or system. It could be simpler, just a change in physical surroundings, location of work station. Do they interact with new people? With the same people in different ways?

Take this example. Retool or recalibrate the same machine to make a better product. The operator does nothing differently. It’s all machine.

In terms of change, this won’t affect extroverts much. It will with introverts though. That’s because introverts internalize qualitative change. For instance, they’ll think and feel they’re with a better company. They’re better people. It’s bringing home the bacon versus taking out the trash.

Now, turn it around. Change the machine. Change what the operator does. This new machine makes much more of the same thing much faster. This affects extroverts much more than introverts.

For the former, we changed behaviors and activities. To introverts though, they’re just making more of the same old stuff. Their eyes, how they see things, did not change. For introverts, that means changing attitudes and ideas. For instance, how does this change change how they see their work?

Introvert In Every Extrovert, Extrovert Around Every Introvert

In reality, an introvert lives inside every extrovert. An extrovert lives around every introvert. The blend varies. Thus, in each person and work culture, we need to be alert on how it does.