Activate your Introvert

In this week’s show Sweden’s PM has been tweeting the wrong Liz Truss. Swan on train tracks holds up rush hour commuters for an hour One of my favourite lines from Dale Carnegie is still getting quoted. “Show interest in others, and others will show interest in you”. I’m going to add a caveat to it though. A discussion with Lindsay Barnett: Lindsay provides flexible and independent HR support and advice to busy HR teams and businesses. Contact Lindsey at  https://lindsaybarnetthr.com Question of the week: Why should we treat introverts more softly than everybody else, there’s only one of two of them in the team. My takeaways from the discussion were: It’s easy to disengage a large part of the team when trying to engage the team Ask, in different ways, what people want. Consider socialising ideas which involve talking about the specific event, not general chat. Get to know and understand your own preferences, so you don’t always impose them on others

In this week’s show Introversial news: Dating apps, Morris dancers, labels and the world gravy wrestling championships: A discussion with Hadi Haboobi. Hadi is a peak performance mindset strategist who helps leaders step into their most focused states in less time   Contact Hadi at https://mindremastered.com Question of the week: Why do people find small talk so hard? For your guide to better small talk, click here My takeaways from the discussion were: Overthinking can mean you attach too much to the problem. Detailed thinking is good, but try not to overthink. Some introverts limit their abilities due to the introvert label. Don’t live down to a label, live up to your full skills. Embracing uncertainty is an important leadership skill. Having more certainty about yourself is a good starting point. We all act from generalisations we’ve made from our past. Be aware of making news ones! To download Habi's booklet on embracing uncertainty, click here.   What were yours? Add to a discussion on the Facebook page Activate Your Introvert What question would you like answered about introversion? Visit ActivateYourIntrovert.co.uk  and let me know. I’ll answer your question on the show, and you'd be welcome to join me on the show, if you like.

In this week’s show Ambiverts – a new type of person? You know what I mean? Actually, no I don’t and nor do you. Exercising your opposite personality muscles. Is convenience damaging us? A discussion with Tom Cleary: Tom is a wellbeing & Mental Health Consultant who specialising in Mindfulness in Education & Business.  Contact Tom at https://tom-cleary.co.uk/ Question of the week: What’s the difference between ambivert and omnivert? My takeaways from the discussion were: The importance of self-compassion, at least treat yourself as well as you’d treat your friends. Be more aware of how you talk to yourself, especially common phrases you use on yourself. Constructive feedback needs to build confidence, use facts not emotions and help the other person to create their answers rather than just giving them yours. Receiving feedback: Consider the context and look for patterns, rather than just accepting all feedback a damaging truth. What were yours? Add to a discussion on the Facebook page Activate Your Introvert What question would you like answered about introversion? Visit ActivateYourIntrovert.co.uk  and let me know. I’ll answer your question on the show, and you'd be welcome to join me on the show, if you like.

In this week’s show The Edinburgh fringe got me thinking. Southend football club The NHS covid app A discussion with Jonathan Bowring: Jonathan is a Leadership and organisational coach who helps unlocking potential and helping people think.  Contact Jonathan at https://www.riversight.uk/ Question of the week: Should I promote an introvert, or an extrovert to team leader? My takeaways from the discussion were: We try to save energy in our brains and simplify. That’s where shortcuts come from, we are all really lazy Shortcuts are based on our experience, but as we now meet more people of different sorts, quick rules less effective. Answer – we need more patterns. We can’t stop using them, it’s hardwired What were yours? Add to a discussion on the Facebook page Activate Your Introvert What question would you like answered about introversion? Visit ActivateYourIntrovert.co.uk  and let me know. I’ll answer your question on the show, and you'd be welcome to join me on the show, if you like.

In this week’s show Highwayman Dick Turpin is causing insults, early 300 years after his execution Table manners are changing. The benefits of stopping to think A discussion with Peter Milligan: Peter is an inspirational Speaker and Business Psychologist. He specialises in Leadership, Employee Engagement, & Embracing Change. Contact Peter at https://newgenerationleaders.com and sixtylessons.com| Question of the week: Are introverts more humble, and is that a good thing? My takeaways from the discussion were: When the labelling starts, the listening stops. Encouraging somebody to do things without losing their natural way of being Confidence and introversion/ extroversion are not connected Insecurity can drive more extroverted behaviours Change your relationship with fear What were yours? Add to a discussion on the Facebook page Activate Your Introvert What question would you like answered about introversion? Visit ActivateYourIntrovert.co.uk  and let me know. I’ll answer your question on the show, and you'd be welcome to join me on the show, if you like.

In this week's show A discussion with Alastair Greener: Alastair is a communications Speaker & Consultant, Event MC and TV Presenter. We spent time talk about why everybody needs presentation skills as well as exploring introvert / extrovert differences. Contact Alastair at https://presentyourself.co.uk Very little else this week! My apologies, this week has been about bed, fever and brain fog (among other less pleasant things). But as the interview was worth sharing, I thought I'd strip back the normal format. Hopefully back to normal next week! My takeaways from the discussion were: We all need presentation skills to get our message across, whatever that message is. Children are often very effective presenters, in that you act on their message. As a manager, or leader, your presentation skills will improve if you consider the style of the people you’re presenting too. If they don’t listen, there’s no point! Practice makes progress, not perfect Look for patterns in feedback, don’t hang on one person’s opinion What were yours? Add to a discussion on the Facebook page Activate Your Introvert What question would you like answered about introversion? Visit ActivateYourIntrovert.co.uk  and let me know. I’ll answer your question on the show, and you'd be welcome to join me on the show, if you like.

In this week's show Arguments, especially public ones Trans Rights Phones in meetings, and poor engagement: If you'd like to read a book about improving your meetings, click Running Meetings that make things happen. The Railway Children: Yes, that 1970’s film will help you think about something important! A discussion with Bina Briggs: Bina provides HR Support for Small Businesses on employment Law and Employment Policies; she used to be the HR Director for London Luton Airport and is also an author. Contact Bina at https://plaintalkinghr.com Question of the week: Do introverts and extroverts argue differently? My takeaways from the discussion were: A leader is like a parent, in that you need to really know your employees Sharing vision, starting with onboarding Onboarding can be as simply as a checklist, to make new staff feel welcome Introverts – Make sure the dialogue is with others, not just in your head What were yours? Add to a discussion on the Facebook page Activate Your Introvert What question would you like answered about introversion? Visit ActivateYourIntrovert.co.uk  and let me know. I’ll answer your question on the show, and you'd be welcome to join me on the show, if you like.

In this week’s show Mystic Veg: A fortune tellers’ predictions which seem as accurate as most instant introvert extrovert tests. A wedding proposal gone wrong: It seems dramatic stunts are not just used for poor quality team building events. Porn in the house: Doing things quietly in the corner is a good thing? Ejaculating bees: A sad story about hot weather. A discussion with Donna Obstfeld: Donna is an HR Specialist; helping employers who care about their people to make their workplace a better place to be; saving them time, money & stress. Contact Donna at https://DOHR.co.uk Question of the week: How does introversion affect personality? My takeaways from the discussion were: A grievance can be a good thing, it allows clarity and conversation. Know how your staff like to interact. Know how people like to be dealt with. Confidence should not be conflated with introversion or extroversion What were yours? Add to a discussion on the Facebook page Activate Your Introvert What question would you like answered about introversion? Visit ActivateYourIntrovert.co.uk  and let me know. I’ll answer your question on the show, and you'd be welcome to join me on the show, if you like.

In this week’s show Leading the country: The ongoing saga of choosing a new personality to drive our country forwards Ovation saturation. Have we got standing ovation inflation? Working from home: It's 13% more efficient than the office Team burning in Switzerland:  A horribly different problem at a team building event, where the normal problem is they don't work that well.  A discussion with Sharon Barton. Contact Sharon at https://harbourHR.co.uk Question of the week: Are introverts less authentic? Read more about the problem with authenticity at work  My takeaways from the discussion were: Get to know your people and their preferences Like most other personality traits, introvert / extrovert is a spectrum As an introvert, when you speak people to listen Drive and desire may help you find tactics to appear more extroverted, but you’ll still lose “people energy” and have the benefits of internal processing Not down to leader to create environment on their own What were yours? Add to a discussion on the Facebook page Activate Your Introvert What question would you like answered about introversion? Visit ActivateYourIntrovert.co.uk  and let me know. I’ll answer your question on the show, and you'd be welcome to join me on the show, if you like.

In this week’s show Love island, or is it loveless house?  The Conservative leadership race steps up. Do you respect other workers and do they respect you? A survey by officevibe Extroverts don't always make the most stable leaders. An article in TrainingZone A giant step for hamkind: A hamster survives daring trip into the stratosphere on a flying balloon A discussion with Tony Brooks: Tony is a leadership psychologist, runs leadership training workshops and speaks on survival psychology. Contact Tony at https://theleadershiptrainingworkshop.com/ Question of the week: What should I NOT ask an introvert? Please complete this short survey on ego, extroversion and drive for success. Click here (5 questions) My takeaways from the discussion were: Human nature to doubt ourselves -many people don’t feel good enough Introverts may need to make themselves socialise at times and lockdown got us out of practice. Being aware of doubting yourself can give you power. Survival psychology: We used to be afraid of sabre tooth tigers, now it’s often our ego! What were yours? Add to a discussion on the Facebook page Activate Your Introvert What question would you like answered about introversion? Visit ActivateYourIntrovert.co.uk  and let me know. I’ll answer your question on the show, and you'd be welcome to join me on the show, if you like. Download your guide to small talk and introverts. Click here 

In this week’s show How good are French drivers? The airport chaos: One thing we should ALWAYS be doing, introvert, or extrovert Leading change: A discussion with Amy Rowlinson. Amy is a Life Purpose Strategist and host of the incredibly successful Focus on WHY Podcast, it’s in the top 1% of podcasts globally. It’s that focus on WHY that I’d like to chat about Amy about. Amy also helps people seek fulfilment and purpose in life. Contact Amy at https://www.amyrowlinson.com/ Question of the week: How can you engage an introvert in small talk? To download your guide to small talk for you and your team, click here. My takeaways from the discussion were: The power of understanding your purpose and using it in your business/ life. What’s your purpose, why do you do what you do? Start finding your purpose by looking at things you really love, or that really anger you The importance of long term vision in a business, so everybody understands it and how their role fits within that And I loved Amy’s phrase - Not a mid life crisis a midlife beginning   What were yours? Add to a discussion on the Facebook page Activate Your Introvert What question would you like answered about introversion? Visit ActivateYourIntrovert.co.uk  and let me know. I’ll answer your question on the show, and you'd be welcome to join me on the show, if you like.

In this week’s show Leadership and introversion Introversial news items: A DIY store problem about unwritten, but obvious rules and and uplifting way to deal with car thieves A discussion with Paul Harris: Paul helps farmers to build harmonious high-performance teams Contact Paul at http://www.real-success.co.uk/ Question of the week: What is the most engaging speaking style for an introvert to hear? My takeaways from the discussion were: The “macho” view that leadership is about extroversion, demonstrated by speaking up and having gravitas is wrong. Farming has the same leadership issues as many other sectors, some may even be magnified. The basic assumption that people are like us, leads to communications and productivity issues, no matter how much we think it should be true. Good leadership means making less assumptions and going deeper into understanding people. What were yours? Add to a discussion on the Facebook page Activate Your Introvert What question would you like answered about introversion? Visit ActivateYourIntrovert.co.uk  and let me know. I’ll answer your question on the show, and you'd be welcome to join me on the show, if you like.

In this week’s show Boris, or Keir – is it an introvert, extrovert thing? A discussion with the introvert recruiter Carey Curry: Recruitment is interesting for two reasons: the extrovert bias where many employers look for the wrong people and because many recruitment agencies are seen as pushy, salesy and extroverted. How can you attract and bring out the best in your introverted candidates. Contact Carey on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/careycurry Question of the week: How can I make my interviewing more introvert friendly? Bottle-fed babies ‘more likely to develop fetish for rubber gimp suits’. My takeaways from the discussion were: How strong the extroverted bias is in many companies and it’s often unconscious Changing words on your job advert can attract many more people, who are different and possibly better. The importance of recruiting for introverts and extroverts What were yours? Add to a discussion on the Facebook page Activate Your Introvert What's your question? What question would you like answered about introversion? Visit ActivateYourIntrovert.co.uk  and let me know. I’ll answer your question on the show, and you'd be welcome to join me on the show, if you like.  

In this week’s show Draco Malfoy has imposter phenomena! One MP’s version of leadership: Yes, it's another partygate clip. A discussion with Lorna Helps: Lorna specialises in helping CEOs of small businesses thrive by identifying and implementing the best style of hybrid working for their business and employees. Ever since lockdown there’s been an ongoing debate about working location, style and personality, so I’m looking forward to learning from Lorna. Contact Lorna at https://vibrant-thinking.com Question of the week: On zoom / teams how to handle the camera on/ off thing with regards introverts. My takeaways from the discussion were: This is so much more than introverts prefer home working and extroverts prefer the office. We all need good people contact. Think hard about the WHY. That’s more than a simple staff survey. Hybrid working isn’t just allowing people to work from home, it’s having a workforce who work in the best location for them and you, on any one day. If you want to be allowed to work remotely, consider the organisational benefits when discussing the issue with your manager What were yours? Add to a discussion on the Facebook page Activate Your Introvert What question would you like answered about introversion? Visit ActivateYourIntrovert.co.uk  and let me know. I’ll answer your question on the show, and you'd be welcome to join me on the show, if you like.

In this week’s show UFOs, George Bush and obesity: A discussion with Kate Atkin: Kate is a speaker and facilitator who specialises in imposter Syndrome. It really is a phenomenon and one which I’d love to know more about. Contact Kate at https://www.kateatkin.com/ Question of the week: Are introverts happy that the extroverts and shouting out / answering the questions as they can then avoid the limelight? My takeaways from the discussion were: It’s not a syndrome, it’s a phenomena or “imposter chatter” Talk about experiencing it, rather than suffering from Accepting we can do something is not the same as hubris and arrogance. And that wonderful quote “True humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less” (C.S. Lewis) What were yours? Add to a discussion on the Facebook page Activate Your Introvert I also briefly mentioned the discussion with Derek Arden about reframing, click to listen to that episode. What question would you like answered about introversion? Visit ActivateYourIntrovert.co.uk  and let me know. I’ll answer your question on the show, and you'd be welcome to join me on the show, if you like.

In this week’s show Leaders: Do they have to attend leaving parties? Working from home, or the office, which is right? Question of the week: How to handle people who don’t want to go to drinks after work. Two articles linked to this answer are: Tips for planning work social events that are introvert friendly Tips for introverts to survive work social events A discussion with Jim Culverwell: Jim is the premises mentor. He helps businesses get the right premises on the right terms for them. He has, naturally been very involved in the working from home / working from office issues; but from a different angle which I thought it would be good to explore. Contact Jim at https://culverwellconsulting.co.uk My takeaways from the discussion were: Both home working and office working have benefits, how do you get the best of both. The first imperative in the working from home v the office debate is what’s right for the business and the people, when doing the job they need to be doing. Office design is changing to allow more collaborative spaces and more quiet working spaces. Open place isn’t a good thing for many people who need to focus, especially introverts. What were your takeaways? Add to a discussion on the Facebook page Activate Your Introvert What question would you like answered about introversion? Visit ActivateYourIntrovert.co.uk  and let me know. I’ll answer your question on the show, and you'd be welcome to join me on the show, if you like.

In this week’s show If superheroes suffer with imposter syndrome, so can your team! Question of the week: Do introverts suffer with more self doubt than extroverts? You might like to read more at https://introvertinbusiness.co.uk/self-doubt-and-introverts/ A discussion with Fiona English: Fiona is a keynote speaker and coach who combines her extensive experience in global investment markets with expertise in human potential. One of her key beliefs is that the key to purpose in life is to express all of who you are and can be. Which seems so appropriate in managing people especially introverts. Contact Fiona at https://fiona-english.com My takeaways from the discussion were: Focus on wholeness, not purpose. Getting people to find their purpose isn’t helpful. Three pillars which help are goals, values and “do I feel my life is valuable to me” Meaning has lost all meaning, because of how it’s been overused. What were yours? Add to a discussion on the Facebook page Activate Your Introvert   What question would you like answered about introversion? Visit ActivateYourIntrovert.co.uk  and let me know. I’ll answer your question on the show, and you'd be welcome to join me on the show, if you like.

In this week’s show Neighbours, and I don’t mean the ones next door to you. Dr Who (regenerating again).  Too much Ego interferes with leadership A discussion with Alison Charles: Alison, with her team, help clients achieve Real Resilience. She helps leaders create a focus on resilience, wellbeing at work and stress Management. Contact Alison at https://real-resilience.co.uk/ Question of the week: How should you manage introverts? My takeaways from the discussion were: Resilience is more than surviving; it’s being adaptable and fit for the future Dealing with ambiguity and uncertainty is becoming more important Working from home makes managing resilience harder, you need to make more touch points Importance of telling people where you’re at, not just expecting them to open up We all need to talk to others at times, but quality is better than quantity What were your takeaways? Add to a discussion on the Facebook page Activate Your Introvert

In this week's show Why leaders should think about mental health week Introversion is not a mental health issue Being introverted does not mean you're lonely. “First impressions count” in recruitment, and one of the problems with that. 76% of Americans are against bringing the Tyrannosaurus rex back from extinction, 10% are in favour.  This week it's mental health week, so this show is mainly about Mental Health. Mental Health week is an opportunity for people to talk about mental health, raise its profile and lower the stigma. Previous episodes of Activate Your Introvert (available at Activate Your Introvert.co.uk) have touched on related issues. You can listen again to episodes by Mike Pagan, Kathy Chillistone and Lisa Seagroatt. Those episodes touch on why understanding mental health is important for us as leaders, which is also a theme for today's episode. This episode has a slightly different format to normal, I hope you enjoy it. The survey by MaryAnn Wei called "Social Distancing and Lockdown – An Introvert’s Paradise?" is available here

In this week’s show Are you overly reflective, or positive like Piers Morgan? What’s the worst place you’ve ever dropped your mobile phone? A discussion with Martyn Pentecost: Martyn is a product creation strategist. He helps authors (and others) from the initial idea to a finished product range. I was recently using parts of the personality profiling system he wrote about in "The Key in Your Pocket: 9 Ways to Unlock Your Personal and Business Success". Contact Martyn on LinkedIn , click https://www.linkedin.com/in/mpowr/ Question of the week: Can you change from being an introvert? What were your takeaways from the discussion? Add to a discussion on the Facebook page Activate Your Introvert What question would you like answered about introversion? Visit ActivateYourIntrovert.co.uk  and let me know. I’ll answer your question on the show, and you'd be welcome to join me on the show, if you like.