Shying away!
KARTHIK was a new employee in the training and development department at a major healthcare organisation. Though a good trainer, he was painfully shy, which he knew, would weigh against him. Early on he realised that he had to learn to communicate openly and clearly to be able to lead and demonstrate his unique strengths. Many shy employees like Karthik fail to fare well in organisations because their strengths go unnoticed or unappreciated. The failure of organisations in understanding the difference between introverts and extroverts often results in employees suffering from low morale and low productivity, at times leading to disengagement.
Appearance and illusion
A study on human behaviour (by the co-founder and co-director of the Shyness Institute and the Shyness Clinic in California, Philip Zimbardo) reveals several aspects about human behaviour under pressure. Though the study has no direct connection with shyness, it does talk about aspects that determine the personality of an individual and his behaviour accordingly. The study reveals that human behaviour is often impacted by the situation in which people exist.
The dominant and the suppressed!
In today's corporate world, aggressive employees take the lead in almost all spheres--be it in meetings, grabbing promotions or pay hikes. They easily overshadow the less assertive ones often leaving them resentful. What's the reason for shyness? Zimbardo observes that one of the main reasons is that the society is becoming less interactive what with technology overtaking almost all aspects of our lives. Think of this: we message texts, we rarely talk; we deal with automated machines and not with people directly; we place orders for grocery on the Internet, we rarely walk up to the grocery store these days; we send e-mail messages to the colleague sitting in the next cubicle! All these habits have reduced the amount of social interaction and have led to people becoming shy. Shy people join the workforce late, earn less, and suffer health problems due to lack of a strong support network. It is wrong to assume that it's an individual's problem. Organisations that fail to identify the silent achievers also face the consequences.
The difference
Are the shy and the introverts similar? No! Introversion is an innate quality of being a little less social. It does not affect people negatively. Shyness, on the other hand, results when people are negatively affected by introversion. Shy people are hypersensitive to criticism, avoid social interaction totally and are isolate. They also show physical signs of weakness such as sweating, trembling, nausea and dizziness. Very often, shy employees fail to perform to their potential as they see themselves as inadequate.
While shyness can immobilise one, introversion may not be all that disadvantageous. There have been instances where introverts were found to be the most productive employees in organisations. They are often more technically competent, diligent, ethical and collaborative team players despite their limited interaction skills.
Introversion can help!
Introverted managers are respected because people find them effective and want to work for them. Such people do not care about getting recognition; they care more about doing their jobs efficiently. It is the responsibility of the organisations to groom their employees to fit the role of assertive professionals. It should not depend on how they look or appear.
The remedy
Shyness can be very debilitating. Shyness Clinics and Institutes help people to be able to interact adequately in social situations. They help in minimising the negative effects of shyness. Social training can also help.
A few tips for being socially adept:
Make eye contact while talking
Identify common interests to sustain and stimulate conversation
Be graceful in accepting and giving compliments
Assertively draw people's attention to your work
Learn to collaborate with colleagues and make small talk
Organisations must realise that potential candidates must fit the type of role they are looking to hire for. Whether an introvert or extrovert, it depends on a candidate's attitude, attributes and skills, which make him eligible for a particular role in a company. To grow and be successful!
BINDU MADHAVI
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