Always Thinking,
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Bill Gates once said in a speech: "I think introverts can do quite well. If you're clever you can learn the benefits of being an introvert, which might be, say, being willing to go off for a few days and think about a tough problem, read everything you can, push yourself very hard to think out on the edge of that area." As an introvert,I often covet my quiet time and creative space in order to think through problems with viable and relevant solutions as the goal. Yet it doesn't mean I'm shy or avoid social situations. In fact, that's quite the opposite." |
Yes, believe it or not I’m an introvert.
“We live in a nation that values its extroverts – the outgoing, the lovers of crowds - but not the quiet types who change the world,” says author and TEDx presenter Susan Cain of Quiet: The Power of Introverts. But in fact, being an introvert brings a special set of approach towards creative problem-solving, cultivating relationships and a deeper drive to make a difference that propel me in becoming a quiet leader. As an introvert I am always thinking, especially when there’s a problem to solve. In 2012 I was tasked with coordinating the construction of two pairs of standing kāhili requiring an estimated 1,000 volunteer hours and less than three months to complete. This project posed three major challenges: 1) A Trained Volunteer Workforce: Because our workforce was strictly volunteers (made up of staff from Kamehameha Schools Kawaiaha’o Plaza location and Kapālama campus location) we had no control over keeping the same set of volunteer staff throughout the project to retain consistency in the work. We had to train and retrain each new volunteer for every work session. 2) Managing Two Locations: We housed the kāhili materials in two locations, Kawaiaha’o Plaza and Kapālama campus. Communication needed to be at a premium to make sure our volunteers and project staff knew which location to report to for our work sessions. 3) Tracking Progress: Tracking volunteers from both locations, week-to-week was essential in measuring how much more – or little – work was left to be done with our available resources. To address these challenges, I created a wikispace page for this project to serve as an e-bulletin/one-stop-shop for information for our volunteers, as well as a volunteer tracking and location update for our project staff. The wikispace provided a brief video showcasing the cultural background of kāhili for those volunteers unfamiliar with the art, a calendar listing with times and locations, total volunteers for each session, an email contact to sign up and a flyer for volunteers to share with their co-workers. The email contact from the wikispace allowed me to tag any incoming messages to my work email as kāhili volunteers. This way, I could easily manage and file my kāhili email separate from my regular work emails. The kāhili project was a success and was completed two weeks prior to deadline. Great teamwork, enthusiastic volunteers, solid communication and addressing our challenges by leveraging technology as part of the solution played well towards this project. As an introvert, I often covet my quiet time and creative space in order to think through problems with viable and relevant solutions as the goal. Yet, it doesn’t mean I’m shy or avoid social situations. In fact, that’s quite the opposite. As a thinker and an introvert, I’m drawn to one-on-one conversations. Unlike extroverts, introverts do better in small groups or getting to know someone on an individual level. Because of this, I believe I am a great relationship builder and creative thinker because I take the time to get to know someone on a personal level. This approach to social interaction has been successful in my role as a Senior Account Executive where client relationship management in knowing and understanding my client’s business was pivotal to growing company revenue. By showing a genuine interest in my client’s work and their challenges, opens up a door of trust that allows me to know them on a deeper, personal level. Building relationships is more than just a transferable skill for employment, it’s essential to community development and resiliency. As a driven professional, I want to use and grow this skill in community-based projects that build capacity and positive growth for our communities. To do so means coming in with an open mind, being willing to listen to others and knowing how to ask good leading questions that can help form relevant and creative solutions. Let me show you how valued introverts can be in both business and community work by selecting me to be part of your team. |