CRA Inc

4 Aug 03 @ 10:14 am

It’s About Apprehension, Not Shyness

A recent article in Communication Quarterly (CITE(Vol. 51 No 1 Winter 2003, Pages 101-110)) presents research examining the relationship between communication apprehension, shyness and communication quality for supervisors. Aren’t communication and apprehension the same? Not according to communication scholars, who define communication apprehension as

an individual’s level of fear or anxiety associated with either real or anticipated communication with another person or persons.

Shyness, however, is

the behavior of not talking … the actual frequency of a person talking … and not a person’s preference toward communication or a person’s anxiety about communication.

In the study, the researchers learned that direct reports of communication-apprehensive supervisors see those supervisors as significantly less credible, less likeable, and has having a significantly less favorable general affect. Shy supervisors, however, were not seen this way.

Why it matters: It’s a common misconception that shy leaders are less able to effectively manage or motivate employees. This research, however, suggests that shyness really isn’t the issue: apprehensiveness or anxiety about communicating is, and while apprehensive supervisors may appear shy, not all introverted supervisors are apprehensive.

The consequence: There is much organizations can do to help communication-apprehensive supervisors overcome their anxiety. Common approaches include training, coaching, or education, but the end result should be the same: address the anxiety, not the personality.

posted in category(s): From The Journals