Counter intuitively, working from home is for the extroverts

While I am not particularly surprised by this report, showing that the most effective home-workers are the extroverts, I do feel kind of validated by it. Or at least, I can stop asking myself "what is wrong with me that I *need* to go into the office?"

Just to be clear, and I have a feeling that some of you won't believe me, I am an introvert. I am so totally an introvert. Frankly, the conversation in my head both keeps me amused and annoys me. Sometimes I remember a conversation I have had and then I remember that it was a virtual conversation...with myself. For you extroverts out there, I'm guessing that you actually rely on other people for those conversations. People need both a mental life and a physical life, but I can probably go longer than most being alone. But when I need social interaction, I need it. And I do. Need it. Sometimes. Too much and I withdraw, too little and I seek it out. Yin...yang. Balance is good.

So I wouldn't say that the working from home thing doesn't work for me, but I can only do it so much. And I have enjoyed coming into the office recently, despite the fact that there are moving boxes all around (we are moving into a swanky new building next week...more on that in the near future).

So, this report shows what I suspected: the chatty, extroverted folks do better at home than I do (the queen of email and IM). For me, it's not as much of a productivity issue as it is about being happy in my own head...which will lead me to a separate topic (for a separate post) about whether or not what you see of the blogger is the person. I say no, but I'll share more on why. So, can you assume that what you see in writing = what you would see in person in a relationship (work or otherwise), conversation, etc. Does a blog "conversation" replace an in-person conversation? Does a post here and there represent a life? Does bringing the snark on the blog mean I can't turn it off? Does over-thinking topics on the blog mean I do the same in real-life? OK, I actually do that last one.

But anyway...