Many introverts are word lovers. And word lovers hate seeing language butchered. Of course, none of us butcher it ourselves. Right? It’s always someone in the next cubicle. In case you have any doubts the next time you draft an award worthy memo, enter a word you suspect could be jargon into a fun and useful new tool, UNSUCKIT—and presto, out comes the term in plain English. I put UNSUCKIT through the paces for a few of my pet peeves:
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An advertisement on the Amazon page for my book, Self-Promotion for Introverts®, says: “Introvert = Loser.” It continues: “Being Yourself is Not the Solution. It’s the Problem. Learn to Change.”

Okay, I’ll change. I’ll try to be more open-minded about ads like that. I’ll try not to jump to conclusions about the inaccurate assumptions and bullying tone. [Introvert's thinking pause.]

Okay, I tried and I still disagree. The ad plays to the pervasive stigmas around introversion and feeds off your fears. Hey, somebody must be buying the scare tactics. But it doesn’t have to be you.

Copyright © 2010 Nancy Ancowitz  

As we commemorate Labor Day in the United States, I would like to wish my readers from around the world a fulfilling and prosperous work life—one filled with challenges you enjoy and opportunities to make the world a better place in big ways or small, every day. If you’re looking for work, I wish you the clarity to articulate your selling points and the tenacity to go after opportunities you deserve—without ever abandoning your dreams.
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Every year I can’t wait for Fall. With its leaves quietly falling in brilliant bursts, it’s a season for introverts. My favorite things about Fall in New York:

• Time to cocoon. After the “less is more” mentality of dressing for summer, it’s time again to swaddle yourself in introvert-friendly cardigans, turtlenecks, scarves, and big floppy hats—to keep yourself comfy while you’re thinking deeply and solving complex problems. (more…)

Get the job, command the room, and/or start the business you’ve always dreamed of. If you’ll be in New York City early in the New Year, please join me for the following fun, interactive, and practical talks to boost your career. (more…)

McGraw-Hill is reprinting Self-Promotion for Introverts®. A word of gratitude. This wouldn’t have happened without you. Big thanks to friends and fans from around the world for buying the book and spreading the message about how you can get heard more—even if you talk less.

I’d like to share media highlights to help you take a fresh look at your career, promote yourself authentically without bragging, get a new job, build your business, and give a talk with more confidence.
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It can increase your attention span, sharpen your brain, and improve your performance at just about anything. It’s also free. Still not sure about meditation? The latest research credits it with “measurable changes in gray-matter density in parts of the brain associated with memory, sense of self, empathy and stress,” according to a recent chart-topping article in the New York Times. What’s the rage about meditation and how can the benefits of this age-old practice include bolstering your professional profile? (more…)

Body language didn’t used to get much respect. Lynne Davidson, Ph.D., a professor of business and organizational behavior at New York University, quips about an incident in the mid-1970s when she was teaching social psychology at another institution. “I submitted a description for a course called Body Language and it was turned down because it was considered too trite and not academic enough,” she says. Without changing as much as a comma in the science-based course description, Davidson, who studied with masters in the field including Albert Scheflen, MD,  got the course accepted by renaming it Kinesics and Symbolic Interactionism. (more…)

How competitive are you? Some of us work collaboratively with our colleagues, even if we’re vying for our share of the same bonus pool. Others one-up each another at meetings, keep valuable information to themselves, and jockey – with pointy elbows – to curry more favor with the boss or to seal the biggest deal. (more…)

“Consider what happens when an introvert comes home hoping to chill after a rough day at work – only to find his extrovert* partner waiting to recap every moment of her day,” according to a recent Wall Street Journal article by Elizabeth Bernstein. She continues, “The introvert gets angry; the extrovert feels hurt.” (more…)