Preferences. Do they really affect how we engage with others and our environment?

Psychology Today reported that Extraverts (those who energize by being around others) can more often perform tasks well in the presence of background noise. Operating in a state of constant under-arousal, they generally need and prefer the stimulation of noise. Loud office? No problem.

Introverts (those who energize best alone) do not generally cope as well in loud environments, in fact they may suffer. For their peak work performance, quiet places are a key component.

Preferences matter. If we wish to cook up “peak performance” in our tasks and teams, we must look and be mindful of our preferences as the spices. Understanding their potency will help us contribute in ways and environments that capitalize on our capabilities.

Here are some other interesting facts from a Psychology Today article titled "After The Noise” by Sophie Chen.

Extroverts may be drawn to a loud bar, but they do not prefer it if dimly lit. Extraverts may be irritated if lighting is low. As illumination increases they are less annoyed.

What does that say about dimly lit office space, or training rooms?

Higher Intelligence correlates with greater noise annoyance at all levels of brightness.

Noise increases violence in angry people. 

In a study, those viewing a violent film behaved aggressively if there was also noise present.

Introverts may prefer more personal space. When noise goes up and people get closer, an Introvert may get uneasy.

Noise arouses fear and uncertainty. Empathetic people (those more attuned to others) reduce interpersonal space to deal with it.

In The Success Principles, Jack Canfield states the following:

“You have control of only three things in life, the thoughts you think, the images you visualize and the actions you take. How you use these things determines everything you experience in life.”

In 2017, Google engineer, James Damore, wrote a memo disparaging company diversity efforts. In it, he implied that gender inequality in his industry was due to women being less biologically equipped for jobs in technology.

After the memo went viral, Google dismissed Damore, ruling that he had violated the company code of conduct. Several female employees went on to file pay discrimination lawsuits against Google. Damore himself sued the company, claiming that they regularly discriminated against white males and political conservatives.

Google is far from the only company for which workplace discrimination is an issue. In one study, 25% of people who experience discrimination said it happens often enough to negatively impact their day-to-day work lives. And when discrimination takes place, whether based on race, gender, age, religion or politics, it can drive wedges between coworkers and decrease productivity.

Prejudice and discrimination begin early on in life. A California student survey found that nearly a fourth of students across grades have reported being harassed or bullied at school due to their race, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation or disability. As a result, everyone has likely experienced or witnessed these behaviors at some point in time.

What steps should I take if I witness prejudice or discrimination in the workplace?

If it is overt and causes harm, report it appropriately.

If it is due to a comment someone makes to you about someone else, address it. Being assertive to call someone on comments that can be discriminatory in tone and intent will help prevent the spread of them.

How can I go about righting a situation where I said something that is discriminatory?

Find a time where you can be alone with the person you spoke to and address it. Let the person know that when you reflected on your comment you realized that it could be hurtful. Sincerely apologize. Clearing the air is crucial. It will also help you be conscious on remarks going forward.

Talking with others about experiences with prejudice and discrimination will help everyone become more aware of how prejudice and discrimination affect interactions and relationships with coworkers. This can also decrease the likelihood of discrimination going unnoticed in the workplace.

Consider these examples.

• You are exiting the airplane and waiting for your row's turn to leave. From behind your row comes a fellow passenger who has decided to cut in front of you. There wasn’t an announcement of tight connections, they just want to leave at will and ignore airplane protocol.
• You overhear a direct report talking to their manager casually on the way to the cafeteria. The manager brings up a small matter of concern. The direct report replies casually to the manager saying” My bad, take it out of my paycheck”.
• You go up to a counter to place an order. Halfway through explaining what you want, the service provider stops and makes casual remarks to a colleague, breaking eye contact with you and putting you on hold for a discussion that has nothing to do with you.

We have the opportunity on a moment-to-moment basis to elevate how others view us and elevate our eventual success. Yet it is easy to reflect on our experiences and find examples of behavior that doesn’t elevate.

And it isn’t just an individual that is affected. It affects their organization. In the case of the passenger who cut in front of everyone on the plane, the logo wear revealed the organization for which the individual worked.

The adage is as true today as at any time in the past. You don't get a second chance to make a first impression.

Professor Frank Bernieri of the University of Toledo analyzed the performances of job applicants in which the interviewers were asked to rate each candidate on attributes such as ambition, intelligence and competence. Then a group of observers were asked to watch video footage of the first fifteen seconds of each interview. The results showed that the observers' first impressions in 15 seconds paralleled the impressions of the interviewers.

Your approach, greeting and body language are key factors in creating an impression - for better or for worse.

To assess the impression you are making, begin watching people and evaluate the impressions you form of others. Watch for things such as eye contact, body movement, attire, facial expression and greetings. Consider the role they play in forming an impression on you. Make a commitment to improve your interaction style in one small way.

Careers often never get off the ground or get grounded, in spite of exemplary experience, education, passion and talent due to a poor first impression.