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  Groupthink: Extroverts vs. Introverts in the Workplace

  Posted by Dennis, datacom engineering - February 01, 2012

  At Speck Design we know our CEO, Elisa, is not to be bothered when her earbuds are in, what she describes as a red flag not to be disturbed.  Why doesn’t she just shut the door to her office?  She doesn’t have a door, or an office for that matter.  Here at Speck Design we opt for an open workspace where the only divisions of our clusters of pods are short walls.  This is not unusual for many other design firms and creative work environments, where collaborative styles of work are the norm.

  A recent article I came across in the New York Times caught my attention.  The article, entitled, “The Rise of the New Groupthink” by Susan Cain explains how collaboration is in, but may not be conducive to creativity.  That’s right - it challenges the long-held belief that the teamwork method is best for creativity. 

  While collaboration and teamwork can be productive, a lot of creativity happens when individuals are alone with their thoughts, with no interruptions or distractions.  I know that some engineers prefer privacy.  Doing focused design work is difficult to do in a busy environment.  Interruptions force you to shift gears and it can take 30 minutes to get back into that level of focus.  
  
  “And most humans have two contradictory impulses: we love and need one another, yet we crave privacy and autonomy,” New York Times.

  The article explores the differences between introverts and extroverts and their work styles.  Throughout history some of the most creative people in many fields are often introverted.  These people tend to prefer privacy and freedom from interruption.   Picasso once said, “Without great solitude, no serious work is possible”.  The same goes for other creative geniuses such as Buddha, Newton, and Michelangelo.

  Translate this concept to modern times.  Take the company Apple, for example.  Apple is associated with Steve Jobs, the extroverted, spontaneous mind who created success for the company with the collaborative efforts of a few others.  But it’s also a story of solo spirit.  Steve Wozniak was the demure engineer and programmer that got the work done, creating something from nothing.  And he did it alone, late at night by himself.  Granted, the company wouldn’t have been what it is without the dominant Jobs, but the original computer itself was all Wozniak. 

  Don’t get me wrong, teamwork can be a fun, stimulating way to exchange ideas.  My worry is that some tend to sit back and let others do the work.   The quieter ones may lose sight of their own thinking and succumb to peer pressure, even mimicking others.  I have had this experience during painting classes.  While it is usually a calm setting where people are working independently, competitiveness starts to creep in.  You tend to compare your work to someone else’s and you may even start copying style or POV.  In sum, I would take more creative chances alone. In a group I would be more cautious.

  We think collaboration is an end unto itself, but there is still singular creativity that has to happen.  There is a pervasive idea in every design firm that collaboration is the way we work, but that’s not always the case.  With Groupthink a dominant personality can take over and drive the project while some people’s ideas never surface.  We should let individuals have the space to think uninterrupted for a couple of hours. For some, this could be a more productive approach.   We need to be selective about how we apply our methodology at Speck Design.

  I know some companies design their facilities to have collaborative areas and quiet areas, particularly software companies. Programmers have private mini offices and when the door is closed you don’t go in there.  They also have pods and a central area with a whiteboard.  I believe this model of having both spaces would be a method that could work.  I like the idea of balance and options.  As the article suggests, our offices should encourage casual, café-style interactions, but allow people to disappear into private spaces when they want to be alone.
  
  Here at Speck Design we bend over backwards to accommodate people’s styles, which is a good thing.  Some companies are strict on policy; flexibility is part of our culture.  It is what we continue to embrace and promote.