Assertiveness is valued not just in the workplace but in other areas of your life as well. But, these days, employers are looking for key assertive skills in their employees. It’s important for employers to find employees that can perform well in the workplace.
To perform well, you’ll need to assert yourself well enough to get work done. This will allow you to exhibit your passion and perseverance in your workplace. It’ll also help you get more effective results than you could before.
There are different types of assertive skills you can use at work and in other aspects of your life. If you practice using these skills, you’ll find an increase in your confidence too. Let’s discuss 5 assertive skills that will help you in the workplace.
Before we discuss assertive skills, let’s talk about what assertiveness is in the first place. Some experts describe assertiveness as the act of being present in a relationship or at work. It is an expression of confidence and about expressing yourself in a lucid manner rather than being passive.
It’s a common misconception that being assertive is the same as being dominating. Dominating people ignore the opinions and suggestions of those around them. They impose their views on others and do things their own way.
This is hardly the same thing as being assertive. Assertiveness is seen in a positive light while dominance is not. These days, employers view assertiveness as an important soft skill they want their employees to have.
But, it’s not easy to teach yourself these skills if you have no experience. You can take a course to learn the most effective assertiveness skills. These skills in turn will help you build other valuable skills at work.
You’ll find your leadership and team building qualities improve once you start being assertive. You’ll also find that you can communicate better with other employees once you learn to assert yourself.
Better communication will help you resolve any issues that might crop up in your workplace. Resolving these issues in time will allow you to create a positive work environment. So, it’s easy to see why assertiveness is one of the best soft skills you can have.
Now, let’s talk about the different types of assertive skills you can bring to any environment.
An important assertive skill you can have is setting your boundaries in the workplace. Often, it’s easy to get carried away and assume more responsibility than you’re needed to. Trust me, it’s hard for many people to say no in the workplace.
Saying yes to everything can end up adding to your existing workload. If you’re working in a high pressure job, this can lead to stressful situations. Besides, a large workload can leave you with little time to yourself.
This in turn is sure to affect your work-life balance. To avoid this, you should know what a manageable workload would be for you. If you’re offered anything above this workload, you should ideally learn to politely, yet decisively say no.
Some online assertiveness training can help you practice saying no when you need to. Many classes are available online that feature trained instructors. These instructors can teach you how to avoid situations that can add to your stress.
Online training sessions will have you practice saying no in the workplace. You can learn this step-by-step and assert yourself better.
Another key assertive skill is promoting accountability. Accountability is a valuable skill in the workplace for many reasons. One, it allows an organisation to work with a greater degree of transparency. Two, it allows employees to trust each other more while at work.
This in turn leads to better collaboration between employees. Not many people know that promoting accountability has a lot to do with assertiveness. Being assertive involves defending your rights wherever you go. It could also entail defending the rights of those working with you.
This includes taking accountability for your actions when things go wrong. It also includes holding other people accountable for their mistakes. You’ll see why this is a valuable skill for most employees in the long run.
After all, an organisation that values accountability will be able to sustain itself.
Not many people would guess that practicing self-control is a form of assertiveness. Self-control is assumed to be more of a personal than professional skill. But, you’d be surprised just how much self-control is valued in the workplace.
Self-control could be one of the best soft skills for an employee to have. After all, it’s easier to get work done when you focus better. And, better focus comes from better self-control. You would need to control the urge to spend time on other pursuits while at work.
This comes with a great deal of practice, but is achievable. Also, you can communicate your thoughts better if you have good self-control. You can do so while keeping other people’s emotions in mind too.
Being honest is another effective way of expressing assertiveness in the workplace. Remember that assertive communication is honest communication. It’s also open and receptive to what others have to say.
An assertive person is ready to answer every question that comes their way. They’re also ready to present any relevant facts to those enquiring. Presenting facts also involves sharing your findings with coworkers.
So, if you’re working on research, you can share your research with them. This will promote synergy in your organisation and help you to get things done effectively.
Another key skill to remember while being assertive is to stay respectful. No one is going to listen to your point of view if you disrespect them. Being assertive is often confused with being blunt or rude.
But, this is far from true for most assertive people. Assertiveness in the workplace is all about expressing yourself well. It’s not that hard to assert yourself while being respectful of those around you. This is why strong communication skills play a big role in assertiveness.
You would need to communicate your ideas clearly to your coworkers if you want to be assertive. Remember to use decent language while communicating with them. Also, remember to respect their point of view by listening to what they have to say. This will help you maintain a gentle yet assertive stance.
These assertive skills will help anyone put their best foot forward at work. With increased assertiveness comes greater confidence. A more confident employee is better able to produce results for their organisation.
Besides, assertiveness also allows you to collaborate better with your coworkers. This will help you create a more positive work environment in the long run. Being assertive and being dominant are two completely different things. We hope this article has helped you understand the differences between the two and guides you to develop your assertiveness.