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Mina enjoys attending social events organized by her organization. Her organization is big on social gatherings—they use these events to promote team building.
She’s outgoing and enjoys spending time with her colleagues, as well as meeting people from other departments. Mina has all the qualities of an extrovert.
An extrovert personality type is friendly, talkative and social. Extroverts prefer the company of others over spending time alone. (Alprazolam) You may be an extrovert if you love to talk to people and you thrive in social gatherings. Many extroverts like to engage in group projects in school or office—where they can brainstorm ideas and work with others.
Let’s look at the qualities of an extrovert and how you can incorporate some of these if you want to participate in social activities with confidence.
What Is An Extrovert Personality?
According to psychologists like Carl Jung, extroversion or extraversion is a personality type that feels energized in the company of others. Extroverts feel a sense of purpose when they interact with new people or participate in networking events.
Extroversion is not an all or nothing personality type; it’s part of a spectrum of personality types that includes introversion—a type that prefers spending time alone or with a few close friends or family. Even if extroverts prefer social settings, it’s not to say that they don’t enjoy alone time. It’s just that the scales simply tip more toward being social.
Characteristics Of An Extrovert
There are unique characteristics that distinguish extroverts from other personality types. Most of these relate to interacting with other people in a social context. As an extrovert, you may identify with others who think alike. You’re not averse to risks or trying something new. Here are some characteristics of an extrovert:
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Enjoy Social Gatherings And Events
If you enjoy attending parties or meeting new people at networking events, you may be an extrovert. Someone who’d rather go out than stay at home embodies an extrovert personality. They’re the ones who initiate conversations, crack jokes and break the ice among a group of strangers. They’re more likely to host events and flock from one group to another to include everyone in the conversation. At work, this may be helpful if you want to get along with your colleagues or stand out in a crowd.
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Love To Talk To People
Extroverts absolutely love conversations—and it’s not just with friends or family. They seek out new people so they can get to know them and exchange thoughts and opinions. If you’re an extrovert, you may find enjoyment in activities like public speaking. Extroverts are not afraid to talk about their feelings and may even reach out to people if they need help. Facing their problems head-on and finding creative solutions is something that comes easily to them.
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Engage In Group Activities
Someone who has an extrovert personality thrives in group projects and activities. In school, some of us dreaded group projects because there was too much planning and too many people. But extroverts are the members who schedule these meetings, bring everyone together and set the plan rolling. People who love participating in group events exemplify extroversion. They enjoy participating in debates on various topics and get their point across. Some extroverts are the life of the party. They can light up a room with their energy, which may even energize others.
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Not Afraid To Take Risks
Extroverts are generally risk lovers; they’re not intimidated by unfamiliar surroundings. In your workplace, if you have a colleague who enjoys delivering presentations, meeting clients and chatting with senior managers, they’re most likely extroverts. They’re the ones who volunteer to go up on stage during a performance or a magic show. They aren’t afraid of judgment or concerned with what people might think.
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Adaptable
People who have an extroverted personality are flexible and adapt well to different situations. Say that your team is restructuring and a new team leader will take over. In this case, extroverts will be the first to get well-acquainted with the new team lead. They’re likely happy to strike up a conversation to learn more about this person. This is really helpful in a professional setting where you often deal with uncertainties like mergers or changes in internal or external policies.
If you want to be an effective professional, you must learn how to interact with others, work in a team and collaborate with different stakeholders—customers, clients and senior leadership. For someone who's shy and prefers to work alone, this may be difficult in the beginning. But you can develop some of the traits of an extrovert to get on the right track.
How To Become An Extrovert
Our personalities are shaped based on our upbringing, experiences and societal and cultural norms. Think of personality types as a spectrum that ranges from solitary to social. Extroverts lie somewhere near the social end of this spectrum.
You can easily develop traits that exemplify an extrovert if you think it’ll help you achieve personal and professional goals—making more friends or for career growth.
Here’s how to be an extrovert:
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Participate In More Events At Work
If you prefer to stay back and work while your team goes out for a drink, try and join them next time. Even if you feel shy at first, in time you’ll learn to make space for yourself in a social gathering. Many organizations give their employees a chance to organize and participate in corporate events. It’s a good idea to use this platform to your advantage. You could be part of the planning committee and interact with your colleagues.
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Take Initiative To Interact With External Stakeholders
Whenever there’s a client presentation or meeting, you can request your manager to let you take the lead. It might seem daunting the first few times, but slowly, you’ll get used to the nervousness and overcome it. Visit client sites and talk to your customers. Start small and reach out to the people you’re familiar to begin with.
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Join A Group Activity
Enroll in a group activity or a class to improve your communication skills. It can be something you enjoy so you actually have fun doing it. You could even join an institute that teaches public speaking. They encourage their members to make speeches, introduce themselves in front of a crowd and get used to the idea of public speaking. This is a great way to find your footing before you take on critical client-facing roles at work. The best way to go about this is to practice as much as you can.
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Learn To Say Yes To Opportunities
Sometimes it’s just easier and more comfortable to stick to a routine. Especially if you’re someone who doesn’t like to shake things up. It’s likely that you prefer your own space and work that you’re familiar with. But if you can learn to say yes to opportunities at work, you’ll make significant leaps in your career. This means being open to new roles, cross-departmental collaboration and engaging with senior managers. You’ll definitely get recognized for your willingness to perform and get offered more opportunities.
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Push Yourself, But Be Kind
It’s okay if you take longer to get comfortable in public settings. Take your time, practice as much as you can and start easy. Give yourself a pep talk and be kind with your words. We’re all capable of much more than we believe. If you’re determined to achieve your goals, nothing can stop you in your journey. Some people find it helpful to practice their speech in front of a mirror while others record themselves as they speak. This way you can check your progress and stay motivated to reach your destination.
This isn’t to say that one personality type is better than others. But certain situations call for a little bit of extroversion. If you have to fight for your rights to get equal opportunities, you should be able to talk to the right people. So, developing a few of these traits will help you realize your full potential.
Conclusion
Harappa Education’s Expanding Networks course will teach you how you can use your people skills to build a strong professional network. You’ll develop constructive relationships and learn to build trust using core concepts like The Trust Equation. Learn how to sustain relationships and use your network to make the progress that you want in your career.
Explore our Harappa Diaries section to know more about topics related to the Collaborate habit such as Building Relationships, How to Build Rapport & What is Teamwork and build strong professional networks.
