THE SILENT ARE GOLDEN

摘要

A third of us belong to a group of largely marginalised and ignored minds. At school, quiet children are told they need to brush up on their teamwork. In business, those of few words are often sidelined in important meetings. And, because of our cultural preference for extroverts, introverts are actively questioned. But the costs of our unwillingness to accommodate different personalities in business are high. In fact, research shows that some of the most creative team members go unnoticed amid the loudness of the majority. Dr Narendra Laljani, dean of graduate studies at Ashridge Business School, explains where this bias comes from. "Business organisations have always had a bias for action, rather than thinking," he says. "We talk about being results-oriented, having drive, leading people and getting things done, and we confuse this with being charismatic, outgoing, sociable and assertive - which are all traits of extroverts.