COMM ASSESS III

wrltrngness to uommunrcate The most basic communication trait is willingness to communlcate (WTC), which is an individual's natural tendency to initiate communication with others.a Before reading any further, we recommend that you complete the WTC measure in Ratlng Scale 5.1 to become aware of your willingness to communicate with others,

[ffitHS. t witlinsness to communicate Measure Below are twenty situations in which a person might choose to communicate or not to communi- cate,S Assume that you have completely free choice. lndicate to the left of each statement what percentage of the time you would choose to communicate in each situation: 0 = n€ver, 100 = alwpys.

1. Talkwith a service station attendant

2. Talkwith a physician

3. Present a talkto a group of strangers

4. Talk with an acquaintance whlle standing in line

5, Talk with a salesperson in a store

6, Talk in a large meeting of friends

7, Talkto a police officer

8. Talk in a small group of strangers

L Talk with a friend while standing in line 10. Talk with a server in a restaurant

11. Talk in a large meeting of acquaintances

12. Talk with a stranger while standing in line

13. Talkwith a secretary

14. Present a talkto a group offriends

15. Talk in a small group of acquaintances

16. Talkwith a garbage collector

_17. Talk in a large meeting of strangers _ 18. Talk with a spouse, partner, girlfriend, or boyfriend _ 19. Talk in a small group of friends _20. Presentatalkto a group ofacquaintances Scoring lnstructions The V1ffC measure is designed to indicate how willing you are to communicate in a variety of contexts with different types of receivers. The higher your total WTC score, the more willing you are to communicate in general. Similarly, the higher your given subscore for a type of con-

text or audience,the more willlng you are to communicate in that context, orwiththattype of audience.

The WTC permits computation of one total score and seven subscores^ The subscores relate to willingness to communicate in each of four common communication contexts and with three types of audiences.

Subscore

Group discussion

Meetings

I nterpersonal conversations

Public speaking

Stranger

Acquaintance

Friend

Scoring Fomula

Add your scores for items 8, 15, and 19;then divide by 3.

Add your scores for items 6, 11, and 17;then divide by 3,

Add your scores for items 4, 9, and 12;then divide by 3.

Add your scores for items 3, 14, and 20;then divide by 3.

Add your scores for items 3,8, 12, and l7;then divide by 4.

Add your scores for items 4, 11, 15, and 20; then divide by 4.

Add your scores for items 6,9, 14, and l9;then divide by 4,

[*rnls dnf rnitrnns Willingness to communicate (WTC) an individual's natural tendency to initiate communication with others,

To compute your total WTC score, add the subscores for Stranger, Acquaintance, and Friend. Then divide by3. NormsforWC Scores

Group discussion

Meetings

I nterpe rsonal Conversations

Public Speaking

Stranger

Acquaintance

Friend

Totalwrc

More than 89: High WTC;

More than 80: High WTC;

More than 94: High WTC;

More than 78: High WTC;

More than 63: High WTC;

More than 92: High WTC;

More than 99: High WTC;

More than 82: High 0verallWTC; r

Less than 57: Low WTC

Less than 39: Low WTC

Less than 64: Low WTC

Less than 33: Low WTC

Less than 18: Low WTC

Less than 57: Low WTC

Less than 71: Low WTC

Less than 52: Low OverallWTC

High WTC individuals enjoy talking and look for opportunities to initiate communication with others. Low WTC individuals, in contrast, dont find communication as enjoyable and prefer to avoid communication with others. These individuals are usually labeled as shy because they dont readily engage in communication behavior. In the workplace, "high talk- ers" (high WTC people) tend to be the individuals who roam the hallways looking for people to engage in conversation, Low talkers (low wTC people), however, tend to Lave their offices rarely, and when they do, it's for a specific purpose. If others engage them in conversation, they keep it short and return to their offices,

Because communication is valued in the United States and in the workplace, high talk- ers are usually rewarded for their willingness to communicate, and low talkers suffer some consequences for preferring not to communicate.6 Research suggests that people who are willing to communicate are generally perceived more positively than those who are less willing to communicate.T "Low talkers" are perceived to have these characteristics:8 . Less likely to be hired r Less likely to be promoted o Less qualified to do their jobs o Less motivated to do their jobs . Less cooperative in the workplace

Itt important to understand that this list ofdescriptions is based on pe opldsperceptions. Low talkers and high talkers may be equally qualified, motivated, anilcooperative on the job; however, working professionals tend to perceive low WTC individuals as less so com- pared to high WTC individuals.e

You can adapt to those with a low willingness to communicate so as to enhance work- place communication: o Refrain from forming premature judgmen fs. Sometimes we evaluate others simply based

on their communication behaviors or lack of communication behaviors. Instead, we need to_form perceptions based on the quality of people's work and other job perfor- mance factors that are important to the organization.

o Do not take another personl quietness personally. Some people are bothered or even offended when others dont communicate with them. You need to understand that someone's being quiet is a part of his or her personality; it's just the way the person is and it usually has nothing to do with you. You can also adapt to and lead others who have high willingness to communicate:

c Give them opportunities to communicate or place them in positions that are a fit for their communication trait. Place high WTC individuals in positions where they represent the organization as spokespeople or representatives. For example, high wTC irrdividua, are a natural fit for sales and marketing positions. Make their communication trait ben- efit the organization.

' Monitor their communication behavior. Too much communicating may prevent people from getting their work done or may prevent others from getting their work doni.