来源：《经济学人》
刊登日期：2021年3月18日
The modern manager has to play the role of coach in charge of their team. And that requires an understanding of the different personality types they may be managing, and the role their own personality may play in the way they manage.
现代经理必须扮演教练的角色来管理其团队。这就需要他们了解自己的团队包括哪些性格类型，以及经理自己的性格在管理方式中可能发挥的作用。
Karl Moore, an associate professor at McGill University in Canada, has written two recent articles on the role of different personality types in business. One of the most common divides is between introverts and extroverts. Mr Moore estimates that around 40% of the population are introverts, 40% are extroverts and 20% are “ambiverts” who can display both characteristics.
加拿大麦吉尔大学副教授卡尔·摩尔最近写了两篇关于不同性格类型在商业中的作用的文章。最常见的区别之一就是内向者和外向者。摩尔先生估计大约40%的人是内向的，40%的人是外向的，20%的人是“中间性格”，他们可以同时表现出两种性格特征。
It is easy to assume that the extroverts are most likely to go far in business. An academic study found that extroverts were 25% more likely to be in a high-earning job than those who were less outgoing. But introverts should not give up hope of climbing the greasy pole. A study in 2017 found that introverts were slightly more likely than extroverts to surpass the expectations of boards and investors when appointed as chief executive.
人们很容易认为外向的人最有可能在商界走得更远。一项学术研究发现，外向的人获得高收入工作的可能性比不那么外向的人高出25%。但内向的人也不应该放弃爬上高位的希望。2017年的一项研究发现，在被任命为首席执行官时，内向者比外向者超出董事会和投资者预期的可能性略高。
Ambiverts can be good salespeople because they are able to listen to their clients and understand their needs but also have the energy to sell their firms’ goods and services. Mr Moore thinks that successful executives have to become ambiverts at times in order to succeed. Introverts must try to show enthusiasm, or make a stirring speech, when the situation calls for it. And extroverts need to shut up and listen to their teams—not least because when the boss speaks first, subordinates will be reluctant to disagree.
中间性格的人可以成为优秀的销售人员，因为他们能够倾听客户的意见，理解他们的需求，同时也有精力销售公司的产品和服务。摩尔认为，成功的高管为了成功，有时必须变成中间性格。当情况需要的时候，内向的人必须表现出热情，或者做一个激动人心的演讲。外向的人需要闭嘴并倾听他们的团队——尤其因为，当老板先说时，下属将不愿提出异议。
Managers need to think about the different personality types when conducting meetings. It is easy for meetings to be dominated by extroverts, who have a tendency to speak the loudest and most often. Introverts may never contribute to the discussion. In his book, “Running Meetings That Make Things Happen”, Jon Baker says that one answer is to circulate materials well in advance. Introverts, he writes, “don’t debate something as effectively if they’re still learning about it. If you want the views of the more detail-conscious members in your team, give them time to absorb the information.”
管理者在组织会议时需要考虑不同的性格类型。外向的人很容易在会议中占据主导地位，他们往往说话声音最大、最频繁。内向的人可能永远不会参与讨论。Baker在他的书《开有成果的会》中说，一种解决办法是提前分发材料。他写道，内向者“如果他们还在了解，就不会有效地去争论。如果你想听取团队中更注重细节的成员的意见，那就给他们时间来消化这些信息。”
Mr Baker also suggests that managers should encourage introverts to contribute to the discussion by asking specific questions of them in their area of expertise. Another approach is to ask people to write down their ideas rather than contribute verbally. In theory, this approach should improve the quality of the discussion; after all, if the views of the introverts aren’t valuable, why have they been invited to the meeting?
贝克还建议，管理者应该鼓励内向者参与讨论，向他们提出专业领域内的具体问题。另一种方法是让人们写下自己的想法，而不是口头贡献。理论上，这种方法可以提高讨论的质量；毕竟，如果内向者的观点没有价值，为什么还要邀请他们参加会议呢？
What makes life tricky for managers is that people don’t have labels on their foreheads stating which kind of personality type they are. That means managers have to spend time chatting to, and observing, their team members before deciding how best to get them motivated and inspired.
让经理们的生活变得棘手的是，人们的额头上并没有标签说明他们属于哪种性格类型。这意味着经理们必须花时间与他们的团队成员交谈，观察他们，然后才能决定如何最好地激励他们。