“Hey, can you fix this issue with the phone?”

I don’t look up. It is 7:10 AM and I just started working.

“Hey, you IT dude! can you fix this?”

Is this bozo talking to me? I look up. He sure is. I get up and come into the conference room. Three marketing people are gathered around trying to call someone in the London office. I ask no one in particular. “What have you tried?”

“I dialed the conference bridge and all I get is this weird sound.” Said the lady from marketing. She glanced at me like I had messed up her day.

“Let me see if Dale is here. He is the phone guy.” I reply. Then before I leave the room one of them says.

“Can’t you IT people fix anything?”

I just keep walking. Of course, I wanted to say a few nice words…

There are many stereotypes about developers. One is we can fix all technology. NOT!

Software development is hard to grasp for outsiders. They see movies where people just write code. It is nothing like The Social Network.

We don’t sit around in hoodies and stare like zombies. Plus Justin Timberlake has never visited my office…

The stereotype of writing code and being done is insane. Creating anything of value takes time. Along with that, there is a lot of collaboration.

It starts with a business stakeholder asking for something. Then we create a story. The developer writes code. From there Quality Assurance will test. There could be a bug or two. It goes back to the developer. Overall it is an iterative process.

The last one I want to discuss is the idea that all developers are introverts. I have met developers who are not.

For instance, Jason is great with people. Previously we worked together on a team that supported sales representatives. Jason was outgoing and upfront with them.

As the manager of the team, I got a lot of compliments about him. “Jason has great customer service skills.” Another person mentioned how personable he was.

On the other side of that, I had a developer who asked if we could email him all the requirements. “I don’t like coming to meetings.” He was afraid of his own shadow.

I get a question like this frequently. “How can I get over my introversion?” To be honest it is something we continually need to work on. Here are 5 tips I have found helpful.

Push yourself

Even though I speak professionally I still find myself being quiet. In meetings or on calls. Push yourself to speak up. Or ask a question.

Another safe place to work on your speaking is Toastmasters. I was part of a few different clubs in the past. They help you come out of your shell.

Story

Ever notice how some people can hold our attention, while others do not? I was interviewing someone once. They had distilled their career down into an eventful story. Much different than others I have interviewed.

Similar to what Dan and Chip Heath remind us of in Made to Stick. Compelling stories follow three simple patterns. The challenge, think of Star Wars. Reaching out, think “Good samaritan.” And creativity, like how Doc Brown helped Marty McFly.

Plan

As an introvert, I know if left to my own desires I would be a hermit. Plan time to interact. Whether you go to an office or attend social events.

Find something you are interested in. Perhaps there is a new technology you want to learn. Is there a user group or meetup you can attend?

Build-in recovery

Along with the previous point build-in recovery. I like to find some quiet time to reflect after being social. A nice walk outside can do the trick.

Remember there is nothing wrong with you. You are just an introvert. Self-care is important.

Mindset

Beware of your self-talk. Don’t think, “What is wrong with me?” See the previous point. Introverts are important people!

In Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, Susan Cain shares the importance of introverts. Great things were accomplished by introverts. Einstein and J K Rowling are a few examples.

In closing, give yourself some grace. We won’t be perfect but we can keep learning. Try a few of these suggestions. Take a small step in the right direction.