Personality-Based Communication for Academics

Although introversion and extraversion are well known and widely used in personality tests, there is no training that helps academics apply these attributes to their professional communication. Introverted and extraverted persons, however, have very different ways of communicating. In academic settings, both personality types face their own challenges:

Introverted persons may feel stress in situations such as presentations in front of larger groups, or difficult discussion and negotiation settings. Extroverts, on the other hand, may face disadvantages as their communication partners may wrongly assume superficial or "unacademic" attitudes. This workshop addresses these issues and is specifically designed for academic purposes.

Target Group

Faculty with an interest in effective and personality-based communication.


Workshop Goals

This workshop focuses on conference communication settings and helps scientists

• understand their individual advantages as introverts or extraverts as well as
• cope with specific communication challenges that come with their personality type.

After the workshop, participants know about their individual strengths and challenges and are able to apply them in professional situations. They will also be able to identify their communication partners as introverts or extroverts and adjust their communication style accordingly.


Workshop Content

During the training, introverts and extroverts form two teams and solve three academic communication case studies. They discuss their own approaches with the other team and find out about advantages and disadvantages in their own strategies.

A specific focus is on status messages: In the last case study, participants will reflect on how to communicate effectively when there is more at stake than smart arguments and rational thinking: when they encounter power rituals, provoking and testing or even attacks. The higher the stress level is, the more important (and the more difficult) it is to stick self-confidently to what is really important.

Location, Date and Time

Monday, 5 May 2014, 9.00 am - 5.00 pm
Tuesday, 6 May 2014, 9.00 am - 5.00 pm

All registered participants will be informed of the location by email one week before the event.

Fees and Registration

This workshop is open to a limited number of participants. The registration deadline is 21 April 2014.

Please note that you should notify us before the registration deadline if you are unable to attend the workshop. Otherwise the full fee will be charged.
Please let the Personnel Development and Planning Office know if you will not be attending. There are often waiting lists for the workshops, and this will give one of your colleagues the chance to attend. In addition, if we can fill the vacancy with someone from the waiting list, no cancellation charges will apply for you.

To sign up for this workshop, please click "Register" at the bottom of this page. For any further information please contact Birgit Amon (birgit.amon@wu.ac.at, DW 4448).

The course fee is €40.

Dr. Sylvia Löhken Dr. Sylvia Löhken looks back on a broad range of experience in both research and research administration. As a former manager in a large international organisation, she is familiar with the contexts her clients work in – politics and administration, business and research, as well as management and consulting. Dr. Löhken received her Ph.D. in linguistics. She is also a certified coach and a Reiss Profile Master. Her international experience includes three years in Tokyo as deputy director of the DAAD Regional Office. Her research and writing focus is on intro- and extrovert communication. The web portal vortragsredner.de awarded her the title Speaker of the Year 2012. Further information: leise-menschen.com Her latest book: "Intros und Extros"