Canadian Business’ ‘Performance’ article for the August 16 dead tree issue is An introvert’s guide to schmoozing (though curiously it is Networking online). It starts out with a mention of Myers-Briggs types as its basis for defining what an introvert is and then goes from there.

  • According to a University of Iowa study on brain activity led by physiological psychologist Debra L. Johnson, introvert brains show more activity in areas dealing with learning and planning, while extrovert brains are more active in regions that control sensory processes, like watching and listening. This might explain why an extrovert is stimulated more by external forces, namely other people, and introverts are happy in their own head.
  • Her advice: stay true to your nature and use those “quiet ways” to get ahead.
  • “It’s not about interacting with 50 people. It’s making connections with primary individuals, and introverts are better at that.”
  • “introverts are generally patient, good listeners — and the key to client services is you have to listen.”

Introverts in MBTI is interesting in that I seem to have in my head that a lot of testers I know have said they are introverts. Not sure if there is causation or correlation there, but it is interesting. (For the curious, I am likely INTJ if the mighty Internets interpret things correctly.)