What is assertiveness?
Assertiveness is an attitude and a way of relating to the outside world, backed up by a set of skills. You need to see yourself as being of worth, this goes hand in hand with you valuing others equally, respecting their right to an opinion. Assertiveness ensures that you are not hurt, used or abused.
ACTIVITY:
Would you describe yourself as assertive?
Explain your answer
In what situations in work do you find it difficult to be assertive?
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What do you currently do in these situations
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Many people find it difficult to communicate honestly, directly and openly with other people. There are two other main ways of relating to others: being passive or being aggressive.
Assertiveness involves the following:
- being clear about what you feel, what you need and how it can be achieved
- being able to communicate calmly without attacking another person
- saying "yes" when you want to, and saying "no" when you mean "no"
(rather than agreeing to do something just to please someone else) - deciding on, and sticking to, clear boundaries - being happy to defend your position, even if it provokes conflict
- being confident about handling conflict if it occurs
- understanding how to negotiate if two people want different outcomes
- being able to talk openly about yourself and being able to listen to others
- having confident, open body language
- being able to give and receive positive and negative feedback
- having a positive, optimistic outlook
