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December 12, 2007
Does Online Social Networking Level the Playing Field for Introverts?
Earlier this week, I was quoted in this Boston Globe article about social networking, in which Penelope Trunk writes about how online tools and sites such as blogs, Twitter and LinkedIn enable introverts to connect with each other right alongside their more extroverted friends and colleagues.
But while social networking might “even [the] playing field” online, as Trunk suggests, I do wonder whether that parity transfers to face-to-face settings. Because I’m an extrovert who easily feeds off the energy of others at in-person events and doesn’t have to worry much about this question, I’m just not so sure about the answer.
For that shy person who has established good online rapport with a recruiter or potential client by way of Facebook, does the strength of an online connection ultimately make a face-to-face interview or chit-chatting at a cocktail dinner any less painful or awkward?
If you’re an introvert -- and try taking our extroversion quiz to find out where you fall on the extroversion scale -- then I’d like to hear from you. Are your newfound online social networking skills making you a better offline networker, too?
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Posted by Bryan on December 12, 2007 at 12:36 PM in Networking | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBack (0)
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Hey Bryan - as a border introvert-extrovert, according to Myers-Briggs, I feel I must wade in and correct you : introversion and shyness are 2 different beasts. My friends will tell you I'm anything but shy. In fact, I love being the centre of attention, I can be very charming at a cocktail party and I rock in interviews. But I'd be the first to describe myself as an introvert. Here's a great article that helps make the distinction: http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200303/rauch
Such complex creatures we are ...
It must be hard for an extrovert to understand an introvert. And yes, you can be exhausting for us.
So to answer your question, I'm not sure that the introvert finds a level playing field in social networking, per se, although he might find some respite. It's the shy person, the one who panics in social situations, who might benefit from the distance of online social networking as a precursor before jumping into the fray --- for that shy person, building a relationship prior to a face to face meeting might be helpful.
I can only imagine. Being a border introvert and not a shy creature, that is.
All the best for the holidays and the new year.
Posted by: Michelle Sullivan | Dec 12, 2007 1:13:10 PM
Thank you for the clarification, Michelle! Seems like I have a little work to do in understanding introverts.
Posted by: Bryan Person, Monster Blogger | Dec 12, 2007 1:37:03 PM
It's an interesting topic to consider, but often people forget another large segment of society: those who suffer from medical anxiety disorders, like myself. Introverted against our wills. For me, I find much of the face-to-face networking that goes on in business settings highly unnecessary- if anything, it used to take away several days of precious time from working on meeting my deadlines, resulting in even more stress and extra hours of work. One of the main reasons I have stayed out of work so long is this very (annoying) fact of how things are run in most places and being unable to find a place that doesn't fall into this anti-modern-day habit.
Some people enjoy meeting new people just for fun... but some of us get overwhelmed meeting new people. I personally just want to be able to sit at my desk, throw some headphones on and ignore the rest of the world while getting my work done without the extra stress of trying to recall names, having to travel or otherwise run through other business hoops just because "it's nice to put a face to the name". I can put my picture online for that, just as I can send a project to be examined during a deadline rather than flying to the client and losing several days of work to travel and recovering from travel.
I definitely enjoy my social networking and blogging experiences, but I see it not as a way to network with others, but rather as a means to just get my own views and personality "out there", as they otherwise would go unknown to all. It's my way of saying "Hey, world, you'd never listen to me normally- here's what *I* think!" and if someone happens to read it and agree, more the better.
Posted by: Jaym Esch | Dec 12, 2007 4:11:27 PM
@Jaym, thank you for your thoughtful comment. You might also relate to some of what our writer Peter Vogt has to say in this very personal account about the "inner life of workplace introverts": http://career-advice.monster.com/business-communication/Understand-the-Inner-Life-of-Workpl/home.aspx
Posted by: Bryan Person, Monster Blogger | Dec 12, 2007 5:16:51 PM
Bryan:
It's a bit early for me to tell if today's on-line networking success can translate well to face-to-face meetings. The advantage that I see for pre-building a new contact relationship online is that you know for sure whether or not you have something to talk about with these people!
I think that on-line practice could help the introvert (or shy person, for that matter) to improve and rehearse their skills. Cold-calling or starting to network with new people will invariably involve small-talk (which some introverts don't enjoy) or trade-specific talk, which can work much better, so I would say that it can help with face-to-face interaction, but it's not a "cure-all".
As Michelle Sullivan indicated, introversion and shyness aren't the same things, although they are easily confused.
It's an interesting coincidence that both your post and Penelope's article have come out this week. I recently started a new blog about the ways that today's on-line social media and social networking can help introverts like myself and others out there.
I've been working in the corporate world for over 16 years and during that time I've learned a few important things:
- that I am an introvert (although I always suspected that I was...)
- that spending too much time around other people (extroverts in general) is very draining
- that I CAN function well among all kinds of people in social situations, but I can't do it comfortably for long periods of time, particularly with strangers or casual acquaintances
- that I need to structure my activities in such a way, especially when traveling, where I maintain "alone" time for myself
Self-awareness and understanding of our limitations is very important for introverts.
Thanks for the link to Penelope's article!
Posted by: Mark Dykeman | Dec 13, 2007 9:54:04 AM
Lindsay Pollak just wrote a book for shy people ... and networking
Posted by: Kare Anderson | Jan 8, 2008 12:46:34 PM
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