10 Ways Introverts Can Promote Themselves to Extroverts | Monster

10 Ways Introverts Can Promote Themselves to Extroverts Monster:

"10 Ways Introverts Can Promote Themselves to Extroverts"

I picture myself at the old Algonquin Roundtable with pundits from my circle, and we’re discussing how introverts can promote themselves to Jo(e) Extrovert -- who, incidentally, is busy working the room. Here’s what the pundits say:
• Listen. “Too many people misunderstand what the other person is saying,” says Cathie Black, president of Hearst Magazines. “Speak slowly, have your points, go over them and listen to what the other person says. It’s not just listening to his voice. Watch his body language. If somebody shuts down, you’ll see it on her face. If she’s looking at her BlackBerry or if she interrupts you 16 times, you’ve lost her. You can say things like, ‘Maybe I ought to come back another time. You’re obviously busy, busy, busy.’” Black concludes: “So communication is critical; it’s the sum of the parts -- and it’s not just verbal.”
• Interrupt. I once heard an introvert say that she just wanted to get a pause in edgewise. While it might seem ironic to suggest that you interrupt right after I suggested that you listen, sometimes interrupting is appropriate, and even necessary. Michele Wucker, executive director of the World Policy Institute, tells how she handles her live appearances on national TV as an introvert: “The hardest thing was to learn to interrupt. You’re expected to do it, and it’s entertainment. I just decided that I was going to do it. I kept trying, and then all of a sudden it happened. I really started to enjoy my debates with Pat Buchanan when I could say, ‘Wow! I got the last word in today.’”
• Jump back in when you’ve been interrupted. Extroverts like to talk, and they might even fill in your every pause. It may be a challenge to wedge in a word when talking to Jo(e) Extrovert. You can sit quietly at a meeting with a room full of extroverts, or you can choose to make yourself visible. “You really have to sometimes be firm and point out nicely when someone interrupts you. Smile and say, ‘Why don’t you let me finish this thought, and then you can go?’ Or, ‘I think it’s my turn,’” says Kathleen Waldron, PhD, president of Baruch College, and an outgoing introvert. She adds that using a little humor can go a long way.
• Share what you’re thinking. People can’t see your mind at work, and you won’t get credit for your thoughts if they remain in your head. “Introverts don’t share all that they have available. Just spit it out. I often want to know more. Help me understand what you’re thinking,” says Michael Braunstein, ASA, MAAA, a very extroverted actuary at Aetna Inc. I met Braunstein at a big regional conference of actuaries, where he worked the room as if he were driving a fast convertible and somehow picking up more passengers at every turn.