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3/15/2006

Managers should help employees overcome shyness

Managers should recognize and encourage employees whose shyness may be affecting their contributions to the organization, according to Deborah Barrett, of Rice University's Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Management. Barrett became interested in the topic of shyness and its impact on a person's success in the workplace while doing research for her book "Leadership Communication," published by McGraw Hill in January 2005. She found some concepts that are important for effective leadership, including emotional intelligence, are also critical for employees.

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Q. How prevalent is shyness?

A. Some studies have shown that close to 48 percent of the population define themselves as shy, ranging from those who have difficulty leaving their homes to those who hide their shyness so well that others are not aware they are shy.

Q. How does shyness affect the individual employee?

A. Shyness can keep employees from participating actively in a work environment. For instance, in meetings they might not contribute very much, which can hurt them in terms of recognition and promotions. Some studies have shown that shyness can have a highly negative impact on an individual's ability to communicate effectively.

Q. How can people overcome their shyness in the context of their job?

A. First of all, persons who consider themselves shy need to find out if they are shy, in fact, or if they are simply introverted. Studies have shown there are differences. Usually the comparison is made by identifying shy persons as being incapable of moving outside of their comfort zone. In a social setting, for example, a shy person would more often be less sociable out of a sense of necessity and insecurity. Introverted people would be less sociable out of choice.

Unfortunately, shy people can often be misunderstood as being egotistical, uncaring or aloof and uninvolved.

Second, shy people need to think through very carefully how they plan to overcome their shyness. Some mistakenly consider it a matter of willpower and simple determination, which is unrealistic. In small steps, they have to begin to work on their self-worth and confidence and their ability to contribute in the workplace. Eventually, they should go into a setting where they might be completely comfortable and find one person they are going to engage in conversation.

A common mistake in this regard is that they will compare themselves to the most outgoing person in a setting, which tends to lower their self-confidence. What they should do is seek out people who seem similar to them.

Another suggestion is that shy people should establish interests outside of their job to help break some of the behavior patterns of shyness. Shy people, for instance, could benefit from putting themselves into a position in which they are a leader in a small informal setting. Keeping up with current affairs, movies or the latest books, for example, can help shy people in casual conversations. One of the most difficult challenges for shy as well as introverted people is small talk, when they may feel they have to say something meaningful or insightful.

Shy people should also try to adopt a mentor, someone who is somewhat like them, but different enough that they can learn from them. A college alumni group or professional organizations are great sources for these kinds of contacts.

It also can be very useful for shy people to develop good listening skills, which are often undervalued.

Q. What can companies do to help their shy employees?

A. It's a complex question, particularly when you examine the culture of an organization and the culture of our society, which increasingly relies on electronic communication such as e-mail.

In some ways, certain technological advances in communications are to blame for people losing the skills needed to communicate with one another in person. Because they cause people, in a sense, to be more isolated, such advances make it even more difficult for shy people to learn the skills they need to participate and overcome their shyness.

The key for managers is to recognize and appreciate differences in personalities among employees and the value, for example, that people can bring even if they aren't as outspoken as some of their colleagues.

Managers with a high degree of emotional intelligence are sensitive to these differences and are able to draw out employees who might be hesitant to participate fully in a meeting, for example.

Managers also need to establish an environment that fosters understanding and camaraderie rather than competition by providing training, establishing a mentoring program and providing opportunities for employees to gather informally.

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An expert in internal and external communication strategies, change management and management consulting, Barrett has taught business, technical and team communication for the last 25 years. Before joining the Jones School faculty in 1998, Barrett was a senior managing director of Hill and Knowlton in Houston, and prior to that she served as a communication consultant at McKinsey & Company, where she was a leader in their change communication practice.

For more information, contact Barrett at barrett@rice.edu or Debra Thomas in the Jones School at dthomas@rice.edu.