An introvert’s guide to a digital planning workshop

[Jahangir147]

I was asked a career question the other day:

‘As a digital planner (or strategist), do I aspire to facilitate workshops?’

As an eternal introvert, this was a difficult question for me to answer. I see the benefit of workshops in facilitating discussion and encouraging key stakeholders who rarely get together to make decisions, but I wonder if they’re not the only way.

Introversion or shyness?
I’ve always considered myself an introvert. Before I began public speaking the mere idea of speaking in front of more than two people would make me blush. But is that just shyness?

“…introversion is about how you respond to stimulation. Extroverts really scotland email list 13234 contact leads crave large amounts of stimulation, where as introverts feel at their most alive and their most capable when they’re in quieter, more low-key environments.”

Since watching Susan Cain’s TED Talk The Power of Introverts, I realised that my seemingly shy personality is actually a result of how my brain naturally works.

‘Talk-to-think’ versus ‘Think-to-talk’
I much prefer to think things through (a lot) before I give my opinion or perspective on an issue. I’ve always considered this to be an affliction of my personality. I’d listen in awe to my colleagues publicly making decisions and giving opinions on the fly.

I’ve realised that my colleagues ‘talk-to-think’ – they think aloud and use conversation to sound out ideas, attributes that are fabulous in a workshop setting. I’m more inclined to ‘think-to-talk’ – I like to take the time to consider all the attributes of a problem before offering my opinion as I feel I get better results.