Knowing and using your workplace strengths part three: Extraversion

This is an extraordinary moment in history. We're all being asked to sacrifice. In an effort to protect our mental health and maintain productivity at work, here's some extra guidance.

This week, Traitify is providing action-oriented takeaways to empower employees, whether you're a busy forklift operator helping keep stores stocked or a resort manager contemplating next steps amid the downturn. Today's deep dive explores more of the "Big Five" personality framework and focuses on Extraversion.

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What does high Extraversion look like in everyday life?

Your friends and coworkers with high Extraversion look to the world around them as a source of energy and engagement. As a result, they seek out varied social situations. They gain a sense of fulfillment from being part of a crowd, meeting new people, and keeping up a rapid pace. In workplaces, they're happy to be approached by customers. They're eager to deliver a presentation to a large audience or have an extended conversation with a prospect, and they prefer active settings where there is lots to do. Outside of work, they're the people who can laugh and chat with strangers, dislike staying home with little to do, and are often described as "friendly" and "outgoing."

If you have a higher level of Extraversion, you're struggling with the realities of social distancing. You've innovated ways to keep active while staying home, and your screen time has increased as you're spending more time connecting with others on social media or having video chats with friends and coworkers.

High Extraversion: Tools to Use

Traitify's personality assessment provides takeaways for optimizing on-the-job performance. These "Tools to Use" help you turn your high Extraversion into an asset in the age of COVID-19:

• Be a storyteller. Bring comfort to coworkers by keeping up the everyday chit-chat that's now missing, whether from a safe distance in the workplace or via an online platform.
• Your energy is a pacesetter. If your work volume is down these days, your natural energy can help liven it up. Find ways to keep busy. Repair that glitchy cabinet door. Get out the old steam cleaner. Call a remote meeting to discuss a new product feature.
• Defuse the fear. Your response to risk is often based more in curiosity than fear. While adhering to all public-health guidelines is of high importance, your comfort level in the face of risk can bring a feeling of calm to those around you.
• Be a connector. A virtual group "gathering" can ease loneliness, whether you're all working from home or practicing social distancing on the job. Put one on the calendar. Then, provide a fun dose of lively banter like you always do.
• Do status checks. You're a conversation starter. As stress levels rise and isolation is an everyday reality for many, continue this habit from a distance. Send texts and other messages to your coworkers for some virtual small talk.

What does low Extraversion look like in everyday life?

What about the introverts among us? In workplaces, these individuals enjoy tasks they can dive into on their own. They're content tidying up the fitting rooms by themselves or working in a cubicle. They can get "lost in their thoughts" and settle into a comfortable, metered pace for hours at a time. Although they are able to interact effectively with customers and coworkers, they value their downtime and feel most relaxed when alone or in a small, familiar group. Outside of work, they prefer a quiet bistro to a crowded downtown bar. Home is a comfort zone, where they enjoy activities like reading, gardening, and cooking. They value their friendships but are unlikely to organize a group camping trip or a big backyard party.

If you have a lower level of Extraversion, you have taken a mental inventory of your books, kitchen spices, and gardening supplies to get ready to shelter in place during the pandemic response. The idea of remaining homebound brings you some comfort during this disruptive period. You like that when you do go out for essentials, the streets are less crowded than usual.

Low Extraversion: Tools to Use

Lower Extraversion can bring value to the workplace during this time:

• Quiet around here? That's perfect. You're naturally in tune with a slower pace and a quieter environment. Use that comfort level to be as productive as ever.
• Be a productivity anchor. As a quieter soul, steer your coworkers back onto productive work topics rather than focusing energy on upsetting "all virus all the time" discussions.
• Listen. You're a good listener. In this time of disruption, others may have more desire to "talk it out" than you do. Boost mental health by being the ear others need at times.
• You're your own boss. You're not the type of person who has a frequent impulse to run things past someone else or feels lost without directions from others. You're comfortable proceeding with tasks on your own without delay.
• Focus. Others may be more eager to see how everyone else is doing, post their own worries on social media, or keep up on hour-by-hour news updates. Since you're comfortable in your own zone, you're great at avoiding these distractions.

COVID-19 and its many resulting disruptions require us to be strong. The good news is that every personality comes equipped with strengths during these hard times. Master yours, and you'll be fortified for this worldwide fight.

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Don't know your personality? Find out for free

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To learn more about focusing on strengths from other dimensions of your personality, follow the links below:

• Openness
• Conscientiousness
• Agreeableness
• Emotional Stability

To utilize the power of personality at your company, connect with Traitify's team for more information.