Here is the third speech I wrote for my public speaking and please note that this is a counter-persuasive speech in which I am against managers hiring introverts (no offense to all introverts out there, I’m one myself but that’s the assignment).

Why isolate between two poles? Hire Ambiverts!

I have learned many things from my first degree in civil engineering but the important thing I’ve learned has to be that team work is important. Without team work, you cannot complete your project. So you can tell, I’ve been on many teams, worked under various leaderships from bossy leaders, who cared less about individual’s ideas and more about bossing team members around to get work done while some were quiet. They don’t communicate with anyone and just did their own thing. I’ve also had some very great leaders, those who communicated consistently with group members and took into consideration of other’s ideas and suggestions.

Therefore, I feel a little bad for saying this but companies should not hire introverts for upper management positions, they should hire ambiverts instead. Unlike extroverts and introverts, ambiverts are solid balanced mixes of extroverts and introverts without the dark sides of one or the other and I’m here today to convince you that companies should forget about hiring introverts and hire ambiverts instead.

So why should companies hire ambiverts instead of introverts?

As I mentioned in my last speech, introverts prefer quiet and solitude. They prefer one-to-one conversations and writing without disruptions. They also do not like to talk to large crowds; it drains their physical and mental energy. An ambivert, however, enjoys both – quiet and solitude as well as socializing with large crowds. Introverts are not comfortable multitasking – they prefer to focus on one task at a time. Ambiverts have no problem diving into multiple tasks at the same time. Ambiverts are like superheroes compare to introverts who people often refer to as the “lone wolf.” Ambiverts can self-regulate. When they feel like they’ve been in a group for too long and their energy is draining, they can switch to the introversion mode to restore their energy. Introverts can’t do that. When they’re drained, they’re drained. Ambiverts are flexible, adaptable and self-aware of their energy meter.

“Ambiverts are like bilinguals,” according to author Daniel Pink.

An experiment was conducted by the Psychological Science Journal in June 2013 in which 340 outbound call-center representatives participated. The goal of this experiment is to show the ambiverts’ social and emotional flexibility which make them the superior sales people of the group. The participants first filled out a 20-question personality test to indicate whether they’re an introvert, extrovert, or an ambivert. Then the researchers assessed the participants’ three-month sales revenue, controlling for other variables. The employees with the highest sales revenue – average $208 – were ambiverts while introverts and extroverts averaged out at $138.

Based on a study done by Adam Grant, “ambiverts achieve greater sales productivity than extroverts or introverts do.” How? Because ambiverts have the capability to naturally switch between talking and listening. On the other hand, introverts are not the most productive sale people due to the fact that they are not loud and social like extroverts or ambiverts. “The drawback to ambiversion,” Adam Grant says, “is that it can sometimes be difficult for ambiverts to know which side of their personality to lead in a given situation.”

So how does one know whether they’re an ambivert and not an extrovert or an introvert? According to an article in the Wall Street Journal, one can differentiate him/herself as an ambivert by asking how he/she will behave or react to a certain situation. For example, “What do you crave after a long day at work when you need to refuel? A happy hour with friends or your couch and a remote control?” Or you can ask, “At a social event, at what point do you want to leave? As soon as you get there or after the last person left?” Or “In a conversation, do you prefer to think it through your answers before speaking or throw out whatever ideas come to mind and bat it back and forth?”

If you’re an ambivert, your answers should come somewhere in the middle of the spectrum such as a drink with friends after work and then go home and walk the dog or something. However, since ambiverts are often unsure of what they want to do, author Dr. Laurie Helgoe suggests that ambiverts should be mindful of their desires.

So why companies should forget about hiring introverts for upper management positions and hire ambiverts instead? Ambiverts can self-regulate their energy level and consumption. They have social and emotional flexibility. Finally, they are a well-balanced mix of introversion and extroversion.