Monday, October 31, 2016

Quiet

Sean Tsang leant me a book written by Susan Cain titled Quiet:  The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking.  The book was a quick read that captured and held my attention to the end.  Susan Cain discusses how the culture in the US has evolved to value extroverts at the expense of what introverts bring to the table.

Because the extrovert is more outspoken, he or she often overshadows any unique and important contributions introverts attempt to make.  The housing bubble that burst in the last ten years is a great example.  Banks valued employees who were willing to take big risks and promoted those individuals over the introverts who tried to caution their employers against such risky decisions to the point where extroverts willing to take big risks basically exclusively held all management positions.

That is contrasted by a few rare examples of companies led by introverts that flourished during the crash of 2008, one of which was Seth Klarman, president of a hedge fund called Baupost Group.  He is an introvert that is known for being more conservative than the others but still outperforming other companies.  This was true even more so after the economic downturn in our country of the late 2000s.

Susan Cain strongly advocates for introverts who are needed to balance the extroverts that dominate our culture.  She also argues that in certain situations introverts can be a stronger leader than an extrovert (in other situations an extrovert would be more successful).

Another topic Ms. Cain discusses is collaborative work, which really hit home as a former teacher who was educated in the importance of collaborative learning.  Collaborative work online has been highly successful.  Some examples include the development of Linux and Wikepedia.  Because of their success, we have tried to bring that to face-to-face work which has not been very successful.  Introverts are less likely to feel comfortable contributing in a large group and thus less likely to get their often very good ideas heard.

Furthermore, in general, creative work is most efficiently and successfully done independently with no/less distractions, irregardless of whether the individual is an introvert or an extrovert.  Brainstorming sessions are not good sources of good ideas.  Studies show that a system where individuals work independently and submit their ideas online results in significantly more and better contributions.

That is not to say collaborative work should never be done but perhaps it should include independent portions and especially when it includes introverts, should be done in small groups of 2 or 3 where an introvert will feel more comfortable contributing.  I wish I had read this book while I was a teacher as I would have integrated collaborative learning into my classroom in a way that would have better reached all of my students.

One take-away from the book is that even though we can't change whether we are an introvert or an extrovert we can make small changes for specific situations where it would be beneficial to be more introverted or extroverted.  So there are times an introvert should push him or herself to be a little more extroverted to get an important idea across or to give a speech on a topic that is important to the speaker.  And there are times an extrovert should sit back and listen a little more and talk a little less so that an important contribution or point isn't missed or too risky of a decision isn't made.

Introverts play an important role and we need to find ways to ensure that they are not overshadowed by extroverts.  Susan Cain writes, "Without introverts, the world would be devoid of:
the theory of gravity
the theory of relativity
Yeats's "The Second Coming"
Chipin's nocturnes
Proust's In Search of Lost Time
Peter Pan
Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four and Animal Farm
The Cat in the Hat
Charlie Brown
Schindler's List, E.T., and Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Google
Harry Potter"

I recommend this book for introverts and extroverts alike.  It will help the reader better understand their own personality as well as the opposite personality and how to achieve a better balance in interacting with others.

Monday, October 17, 2016

Office of the US Attorney

Four weeks from today, assuming all goes as planned, I will be starting a new job as a Legal Assistant with the Civil Division at the Office of the US Attorney and I am really excited about it.  The position is located downtown Milwaukee at the Federal Courthouse which is a beautiful building right near the lakefront.  The people I have met so far seem very nice, team oriented, and dedicated and passionate about their work.

I will miss my 12 minute walk to and from work each day but it will be good to be back downtown.  And I intend to take the bus.  There is a city bus stop 1.8 miles from our house and the Park and Ride where the coach busses pick up is 2.4 miles from our house.  I am trying to find a way to avoid driving to the bus stop.  I could walk.  It really isn't that far except that being downtown and taking the bus is already going to make my day a longer day than I am used to, walking would make it that much longer.  My latest thought is a foldable kick scooter.  I should be able to cut the walk in half (or maybe a third).  I will keep you posted.