coaching introverts: building on their quiet strengths

Coaching Introverts: Building on Their Quiet Strengths

Lisamarie Babik Menlo Evangelist

Agenda

•  Why is it important to talk about introversion on an Agile team?

•  What is Myers-Briggs? (specifically introversion vs. extraversion)

•  Kahnweiler’s 4P’s for Introverts •  An agile adaption of the 4 P’s

Are You Thinking What I’m Thinking?

•  Some of what I cover might seem obvious

•  My goal is to provide you with resources and vocabulary so that you can be more productive in coaching instead of using phrases like, “Try harder.”

•  The people who are most surprised by material in this presentation are Extraverts.

Who Am I?

•  Former developer •  Former project

manager (PMP®) •  Occasional coach •  Evangelist •  Introvert

Lisamarie

Some Characteristics of Agile Workplaces

•  Collocation •  Open Floor Plan •  Paired Programming •  Daily Standup/Daily Scrum •  Show & Tell •  Noisy!

Example Agile Workplace

Why is this Important?

•  Because it is so interaction-intensive, Introverts can end up feeling excluded, overlooked, or misunderstood

•  Working in an agile environment can be challenging under the best of circumstances

Have You Ever Heard?

You just need to pick an estimate! Stop asking so many questions about

details that don’t matter!

Have You Ever Heard?

Why do you just sit and stare at us during

brainstorming?

What About You?

What are your preferences?

Uh-Oh!

How are we going

to “fix” the introverts?

Introversion/Extraversion is not a Binary Switch

Introversion vs. Extraversion Introverts are… Energized by time alone

Process their thoughts in their head Prefer writing to talking Reserved Focus on depth

Extraverts are… Energized by and seek out people Talk out their thoughts

Prefer talking to writing Enthusiastic Focus on breadth

Introversion is not shyness.

Preference and natural inclination do not determine your fate!

____Shyness & Introversion

Working in pairs, list ways in which shyness or introversion could inhibit performance on an Agile team.

Mark each with an “S” for shyness, an “I” for introversion, or a “B” for both.

It’s more subtle than simply Introversion and Extraversion

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

Introvert/Extravert

Sensing/Intuition

Thinking/Feeling

Judgment/Perception

MBTI Indicates Differences Based On

•  How you focus your attention or get your energy (extraversion or introversion)

•  How you perceive or take in information (sensing or intuition)

•  How you prefer to make decisions (thinking or feeling)

•  Do you prefer to get things decided or do you prefer to stay open to new information and options? (judgment or perception)

The “point” of Myers-Briggs types is not to categorize people

into neat little bins!

4 Types of Inhibitors

Stress Perception Gaps •  Negative Impressions •  Slow Thinkers •  No Backbone

Career Derailers •  Underselling •  Missed Connections •  Avoiding Politics •  Working Harder not Smarter

Invisibility •  Lost Opportunities •  Ideas Not Heard •  Lost Personal Power

Stress Perception Gaps

Career Derailers •  Underselling •  Missed Connections •  Avoiding Politics •  Working Harder not Smarter

Career Derailers

Career Derailers Invisibility

Agile Challenges

What are the inhibitors for introverts in an Agile

environment?

Keep in Mind

Awareness of these challenges is the first step toward helping people work through them, but let’s shift gears…

A number of you have some introversion characteristics. Before we start learning to help others, we have to learn to help ourselves.

What the heck

are the 4 P’s?

Kahnweiler’s 4 P’s Process

Sources of Discontent

Passive Aggressive

Lengthy E-mails Frustration

Career Stagnation

Exhaustion

That Got Me Thinking

Agile!

Coaching Scott Work with a partner to build a development plan for Scott.

Goals: Get Scott to… 1.  Participate more fully with

the team 2.  Feel valued 3.  Share his expertise

Final Thoughts

•  When talking, leave “space” in the conversation to give your introverts time to reflect and respond

•  avoid many introverts' least favorite question: "What's wrong?”

Questions? Comments?

Lisamarie Babik Menlo Innovations LLC web: www.menloinnovations.com twitter: @menloinnovation no “s” e-mail: lbabik@menloinnovations.com

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