Have you ever admired your co-worker for handling a tricky situation calmly and subtly with confidence? Have you ever wanted to be the same but could not do so? Well, knowing how to be assertive at work works, and it has its benefits too. This blog will explain six ways to be assertive and respectful simultaneously.
Firstly, let’s understand what it means to be assertive.
The ability to stand up and express what you believe in politely and respectfully, besides being calm, positive, and giving value to others’ opinions, is “Being Assertive.” Assertiveness is the essential communication skill you should develop to make your life easier at work and in daily life.
Why is being assertive critical at work?
As per a study, assertiveness training has significantly reduced anxiety in students after the sessions on becoming assertive. Assertiveness can help you
- Respect and value yourself and your opinions
- Gain respect and reputation for your views from other people
- Increase your confidence and self-worthiness
- Reduces anxiety and stress in the most challenging and sensible issues
- Become more attentive while the other person is speaking
- Learn to handle conflicts with win-win solutions
- Transform into a leader and a person people look up to when they need
Aren’t these qualities you aspire to have? Then, here are some ways you can start to become assertive.
1. Trust in yourself
Trust in yourself is essential when you want to ideate and express your opinions confidently. So, the best way to gain confidence in yourself is by writing down your thoughts and other possible ways to resolve a problem or better a situation. Rehearsing the same before you express it with your teammates is the best way to make yourself heard in an organization.
2. Express yourself positively
There is a blurry line between being aggressive and assertive. You want your point to be valued and respected. So, Use the “I” statements often instead of pointing fingers at someone saying “YOU.” For instance, instead of saying, “Why don’t you buy a pen for yourself?” say, “I feel you should buy a pen for yourself because I may need it often too.”
3. Think about “WHAT IF”
Whenever a situation arises where you should express your thoughts, before putting them up in words, think, “What if you don’t make your ideas heard” or “What if you can do it much better and you don’t express it” or “What if you have better ways to handle it and you’re able to.” You’re unique, just like how others are. So what if everyone appreciates your ideology? Ensure you express what you feel politely and clearly because others’ time is valuable when listening to you.
4. Be empathetic and compassionate.
While initiating a conversation in disagreement on an issue, always acknowledge how the other person may be feeling right then and there. Try to divert the conversation if that’s not the time to discuss that issue at that moment. Say, “hey, I can feel how you feel right now. Anyways, let’s discuss this in detail in person after some time. Or else you may say, “you should discuss the issue with the manager directly.”
It’s always great to remain empathetic and compassionate in sensitive matters.
5. Start saying ‘NO.’
Take charge of your life by saying ‘NO’ to uncomfortable, uncompromising, and stressful decisions. Don’t feel shy when you’ve to say no or suffer later for the same. Instead, raise your voice against what you’re not okay with in a respectful way. Make sure you give the reasoning for that, along with an alternative option.
6. Practice eye contact
They make eye contact with people while talking, showing confidence and not aggression. Maintain body posture and eye contact to let people understand your intentions. Be empathetic and kind even if the other person is not maintaining eye contact with you. It means they may be insecure, shy, or might not have gotten accustomed to maintaining eye contact with others. Also, don’t be one-sided, looking at a single person in a team and talking. Never do that. Maintain 50% eye contact and 75% when someone is talking to you to pay attention to the speaker.
Now that you know how to be assertive, these are some practices we introduce to our Dextarans in the Learning & Development program at Dextara. Keep reading our blogs to get more helpful info and insights from Dextara.