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In this week’s show Leadership and introversion Introversial news items: A DIY store problem about unwritten, but obvious rules and and uplifting way to deal with car thieves A discussion with Paul Harris: Paul helps farmers to build harmonious high-performance teams Contact Paul at http://www.real-success.co.uk/ Question of the week: What is the most engaging speaking style for an introvert to hear? My takeaways from the discussion were: The “macho” view that leadership is about extroversion, demonstrated by speaking up and having gravitas is wrong. Farming has the same leadership issues as many other sectors, some may even be magnified. The basic assumption that people are like us, leads to communications and productivity issues, no matter how much we think it should be true. Good leadership means making less assumptions and going deeper into understanding people. What were yours? Add to a discussion on the Facebook page Activate Your Introvert What question would you like answered about introversion? Visit ActivateYourIntrovert.co.uk  and let me know. I’ll answer your question on the show, and you'd be welcome to join me on the show, if you like.

In this week’s show Boris, or Keir – is it an introvert, extrovert thing? A discussion with the introvert recruiter Carey Curry: Recruitment is interesting for two reasons: the extrovert bias where many employers look for the wrong people and because many recruitment agencies are seen as pushy, salesy and extroverted. How can you attract and bring out the best in your introverted candidates. Contact Carey on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/careycurry Question of the week: How can I make my interviewing more introvert friendly? Bottle-fed babies ‘more likely to develop fetish for rubber gimp suits’. My takeaways from the discussion were: How strong the extroverted bias is in many companies and it’s often unconscious Changing words on your job advert can attract many more people, who are different and possibly better. The importance of recruiting for introverts and extroverts What were yours? Add to a discussion on the Facebook page Activate Your Introvert What's your question? What question would you like answered about introversion? Visit ActivateYourIntrovert.co.uk  and let me know. I’ll answer your question on the show, and you'd be welcome to join me on the show, if you like.  

In this week’s show Draco Malfoy has imposter phenomena! One MP’s version of leadership: Yes, it's another partygate clip. A discussion with Lorna Helps: Lorna specialises in helping CEOs of small businesses thrive by identifying and implementing the best style of hybrid working for their business and employees. Ever since lockdown there’s been an ongoing debate about working location, style and personality, so I’m looking forward to learning from Lorna. Contact Lorna at https://vibrant-thinking.com Question of the week: On zoom / teams how to handle the camera on/ off thing with regards introverts. My takeaways from the discussion were: This is so much more than introverts prefer home working and extroverts prefer the office. We all need good people contact. Think hard about the WHY. That’s more than a simple staff survey. Hybrid working isn’t just allowing people to work from home, it’s having a workforce who work in the best location for them and you, on any one day. If you want to be allowed to work remotely, consider the organisational benefits when discussing the issue with your manager What were yours? Add to a discussion on the Facebook page Activate Your Introvert What question would you like answered about introversion? Visit ActivateYourIntrovert.co.uk  and let me know. I’ll answer your question on the show, and you'd be welcome to join me on the show, if you like.

In this week’s show UFOs, George Bush and obesity: A discussion with Kate Atkin: Kate is a speaker and facilitator who specialises in imposter Syndrome. It really is a phenomenon and one which I’d love to know more about. Contact Kate at https://www.kateatkin.com/ Question of the week: Are introverts happy that the extroverts and shouting out / answering the questions as they can then avoid the limelight? My takeaways from the discussion were: It’s not a syndrome, it’s a phenomena or “imposter chatter” Talk about experiencing it, rather than suffering from Accepting we can do something is not the same as hubris and arrogance. And that wonderful quote “True humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less” (C.S. Lewis) What were yours? Add to a discussion on the Facebook page Activate Your Introvert I also briefly mentioned the discussion with Derek Arden about reframing, click to listen to that episode. What question would you like answered about introversion? Visit ActivateYourIntrovert.co.uk  and let me know. I’ll answer your question on the show, and you'd be welcome to join me on the show, if you like.

In this week’s show Leaders: Do they have to attend leaving parties? Working from home, or the office, which is right? Question of the week: How to handle people who don’t want to go to drinks after work. Two articles linked to this answer are: Tips for planning work social events that are introvert friendly Tips for introverts to survive work social events A discussion with Jim Culverwell: Jim is the premises mentor. He helps businesses get the right premises on the right terms for them. He has, naturally been very involved in the working from home / working from office issues; but from a different angle which I thought it would be good to explore. Contact Jim at https://culverwellconsulting.co.uk My takeaways from the discussion were: Both home working and office working have benefits, how do you get the best of both. The first imperative in the working from home v the office debate is what’s right for the business and the people, when doing the job they need to be doing. Office design is changing to allow more collaborative spaces and more quiet working spaces. Open place isn’t a good thing for many people who need to focus, especially introverts. What were your takeaways? Add to a discussion on the Facebook page Activate Your Introvert What question would you like answered about introversion? Visit ActivateYourIntrovert.co.uk  and let me know. I’ll answer your question on the show, and you'd be welcome to join me on the show, if you like.

In this week’s show If superheroes suffer with imposter syndrome, so can your team! Question of the week: Do introverts suffer with more self doubt than extroverts? You might like to read more at https://introvertinbusiness.co.uk/self-doubt-and-introverts/ A discussion with Fiona English: Fiona is a keynote speaker and coach who combines her extensive experience in global investment markets with expertise in human potential. One of her key beliefs is that the key to purpose in life is to express all of who you are and can be. Which seems so appropriate in managing people especially introverts. Contact Fiona at https://fiona-english.com My takeaways from the discussion were: Focus on wholeness, not purpose. Getting people to find their purpose isn’t helpful. Three pillars which help are goals, values and “do I feel my life is valuable to me” Meaning has lost all meaning, because of how it’s been overused. What were yours? Add to a discussion on the Facebook page Activate Your Introvert   What question would you like answered about introversion? Visit ActivateYourIntrovert.co.uk  and let me know. I’ll answer your question on the show, and you'd be welcome to join me on the show, if you like.

In this week’s show Neighbours, and I don’t mean the ones next door to you. Dr Who (regenerating again).  Too much Ego interferes with leadership A discussion with Alison Charles: Alison, with her team, help clients achieve Real Resilience. She helps leaders create a focus on resilience, wellbeing at work and stress Management. Contact Alison at https://real-resilience.co.uk/ Question of the week: How should you manage introverts? My takeaways from the discussion were: Resilience is more than surviving; it’s being adaptable and fit for the future Dealing with ambiguity and uncertainty is becoming more important Working from home makes managing resilience harder, you need to make more touch points Importance of telling people where you’re at, not just expecting them to open up We all need to talk to others at times, but quality is better than quantity What were your takeaways? Add to a discussion on the Facebook page Activate Your Introvert

In this week's show Why leaders should think about mental health week Introversion is not a mental health issue Being introverted does not mean you're lonely. “First impressions count” in recruitment, and one of the problems with that. 76% of Americans are against bringing the Tyrannosaurus rex back from extinction, 10% are in favour.  This week it's mental health week, so this show is mainly about Mental Health. Mental Health week is an opportunity for people to talk about mental health, raise its profile and lower the stigma. Previous episodes of Activate Your Introvert (available at Activate Your Introvert.co.uk) have touched on related issues. You can listen again to episodes by Mike Pagan, Kathy Chillistone and Lisa Seagroatt. Those episodes touch on why understanding mental health is important for us as leaders, which is also a theme for today's episode. This episode has a slightly different format to normal, I hope you enjoy it. The survey by MaryAnn Wei called "Social Distancing and Lockdown – An Introvert’s Paradise?" is available here

In this week’s show Are you overly reflective, or positive like Piers Morgan? What’s the worst place you’ve ever dropped your mobile phone? A discussion with Martyn Pentecost: Martyn is a product creation strategist. He helps authors (and others) from the initial idea to a finished product range. I was recently using parts of the personality profiling system he wrote about in "The Key in Your Pocket: 9 Ways to Unlock Your Personal and Business Success". Contact Martyn on LinkedIn , click https://www.linkedin.com/in/mpowr/ Question of the week: Can you change from being an introvert? What were your takeaways from the discussion? Add to a discussion on the Facebook page Activate Your Introvert What question would you like answered about introversion? Visit ActivateYourIntrovert.co.uk  and let me know. I’ll answer your question on the show, and you'd be welcome to join me on the show, if you like.

In this week’s show Returning to the office and planning change the right way round A discussion with Mindy Gibbins Klein: Mindy is a high energy, low maintenance and fun professional speaker and consultant focused on Thought Leadership and Thoughtful Leadership. Contact Mindy at https://Mindygk.com Question of the week: Why should I treat introverts differently? A 4 STEP guide to improving communications in the whole team, including your introverts, without treating people differently. What question would you like answered about introversion? Visit ActivateYourIntrovert.co.uk  and let me know. I’ll answer your question on the show, and you can join me on the show, if you want. My takeaways from the discussion were: How long is a useful thought Are you being a thoughtful leader, or a thought leader? How is being busy affecting your ability to be thoughtful What were yours? Add to a discussion on the Facebook page Activate Your Introvert

In this week’s show Happiness, overly simple measures of people issues and extroverted v introverted leaders A discussion with Lysette Offley. Lysette is the founder of Genius Material and The Genius Principles. She helps people break through the glass ceiling, building on their natural preferences and helping people learn. Contact Lysette at https://Genius-Material.com or https://GeniusPrinciples.com Questions which simply annoy introverts and display a lack of thought My takeaways from the discussion were: Brain is always looking out for you – the little voice in your head. We shouldn’t fight it, but no how we can use it. To study, optimally, consider your personality. Introvert, or extrovert. To run an effective team, consider your personality, so you can help others use there’s What were yours? Add to a discussion on the Facebook page Activate Your Introvert What question would you like answered about introversion? Visit ActivateYourIntrovert.co.uk  and let me know. I’ll answer your question on the show, and you'd be welcome to join me on the show, if you like.

In this week’s show Do you remember, café working and Rishi Sunak’s photo : Jon’s thoughts on small talk. There is no guest this week as I’ve been asked so often about small talk, I thought I’d give you my thoughts . But back to normal next week. Question of the week: Do introverts enjoy themselves? What question would you like answered about introversion? Visit ActivateYourIntrovert.co.uk  and let me know. I’ll answer your question on the show, and you'd be welcome to join me on the show, if you like.

In this week’s show Sports bras, trends, and motivation at work A discussion with Mark Lee: Mark is a recovering accountant who now devotes his time helping other accountants to be more successful in practice. He also runs a website for specialist tax advisers and anybody wanting specialist tax. Mark was one of the first people I interviewed on the show over 2 years ago. Mark’s episode was one of the most popular episodes and he is a great guy to chat to, with lots of business performance ideas worth listening to Contact Mark at https://findataxadviser.online or https://linkedin.com/in/bookmarklee Question of the week: Workplace bullying – Are introverts, or extroverts more likely to be bullies? What question would you like answered about introversion? Visit ActivateYourIntrovert.co.uk and let me know. I’ll answer your question on the show, and you'd be welcome to join me on the show, if you like. My big takeaways from the discussion were Just because some people don’t show enjoyment, doesn’t mean they’re not and introverts may fall into that group. Online training and conferences will be more common in 2023 than 2019 and there are benefits to that Adapt generic advice to suit your personality Have clarity on the type of people you seek to influence the most. What were yours? Add to a discussion on the Facebook page Activate Your Introvert

In this week’s show Can you remember 2 years ago this week? So much has changed, for introverts, for business, and many other aspects of life. How have things changed in your work interactions, two years on and are you helping create that infamous new normal, in a positive way? A discussion with Derek Arden: Derek specialises in negotiation and runs an excellent podcast called Monday Night live. Recently he was talking about reframing, which is an interesting subject for many aspects of business, including leading people, improving your own performance and of course negotiation. reframing, an interesting concept Contact Derek at https://www.derekarden.co.uk/negotiation-blog/ Question of the week: What should I ask an introvert? Small talk is something many people don’t like, both introvert and extrovert. But interestingly many extroverts don’t know how to start a conversation with somebody who doesn’t like small talk What question would you like answered about introversion? Visit ActivateYourIntrovert.co.uk and let me know. I’ll answer your question on the show, and invite you onto the show if you'd like.

In this week’s show How to market yourself without being pushy – that applies whether you’re employed, or self employed; as I've had many requests on the subject. How to build a community and why some people don’t like the trendy thing about tribe building – which is many introverts A discussion with Denise Fay: Denise is a community builder. She helps Business Owners Get Clear on their Marketing Message to Create a Community of Raving Fans. Contact Denise at https://www.achievemarketing.ie/ Question of the week: Does introversion have real causes, or is it just learnt behaviour I was recently talking about introversion, communication and neuroscience with Dr Lynda Shaw and Michael Dodd. Here’s the link to the YouTube clip, although I’ll talk more about it in coming weeks. What question would you like answered about introversion? Visit ActivateYourIntrovert.co.uk and let me know. I’ll answer your question on the show, and invite you onto the show, if you like.

In this week’s show Saying it right. I used to get frustrated when people spelt my name wrong (there’s no H in Jon), but imagine when most of the world keeps pronouncing your capital city wrongly. One tiny way we can respectfully stand up for Ukraine. A discussion with Cait Saunders: Cait is the communications and engagement manager at the independent parliamentary standards authority and I managed to talk for 12 minutes without referring to any recent governmental shall we say “issues”.Connect with Cait at https://www.linkedin.com/in/cait-saunders-2a8a8870/ Question of the week: Who’s job is it anyway? Should the introvert change, or the team leader? What question would you like answered about introversion? Visit ActivateYourIntrovert.co.uk and let me know. I’ll answer your question on the show, and invite you onto the show, if you like

In this week’s show Thinking about time management, if you’ve got time. A discussion with Clare Kumar: Clare is a Highly Sensitive Executive Coach guiding professionals towards sustainable performance through greater productivity and well-being. Contact Clare at https://clarekumar.com/ Question of the week: How can I be better at managing introverts What would you like to know about introversion in business? Ask your question at ActivateYourIntrovert.co.uk

In this week’s show A discussion with Ella Orr: Ella is a Social media marketing and personal branding expert and we had a fascinating conversation about social media, extroversion, introversion and exhaustion. Contact Ella at www.muchmoresocial.co.uk Question of the week. Are introverts more highly sensitive? Growing fraud, eroding trust and teamwork What question would you like answered about introversion? Visit ActivateYourIntrovert.co.uk and let me know. I’ll answer your question on the show, and invite you onto the show, if you'd like

In this week’s show Leadership, resilience and mental health. In an extended discussion with Roxanne Derhodge. Roxanne is a Forbes Executive Council Member and Resiliency Speaker who works with individuals and Organizations. Contact Roxanne at https://roxannederhodge.com/ The strangeness of mixing with people again Changing culture and introversion What question would you like answered about introversion? Visit ActivateYourIntrovert.co.uk and let me know. I’ll answer your question on the show, and invite you onto the show, if you like