The social awkwardness of an extreme introvert — a loner– confounds most extroverts. Extroverts prefer using social interaction as a big part of the problem solving process while a loner prefers solving problems without social interaction.
Can a loner be a contributing member on a collaborative team?
Yes.
But I need to qualify my answer.
A loner style is offset by specialized skills. If a loner has expert skills in an important domain, such as database design, it simplifies their ability to contribute to the team. And their domain expertise also makes their contribution visible to others.
Both the loner and their teammates will have to make compromises. The loner will have trade-off the amount of time they work in complete isolation for membership on the team. The other members will have to trade-off social interaction with all the members of the team for more expertise.
Loners are often the experts in an organization. They don’t have to participate in every team interaction to have value. Good managers will manage their use and remind the loner and their teammates of the tradeoff and its value.
A little give by all parties and everyone benefits.
If you need help with the integration of an extreme introvert on to your team, I can help. Contact me.
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