Show Your Skills With Assertiveness Training

To thrive as a member of a strong team it will be necessary at some point to voice your opinions and add your expertise to the group.

You are also likely to need to contradict some people and stand firmly behind your beliefs in order to bring projects to a successful conclusion. This could result in tension within teams and negative comments during assignments. However, if you are unsure of your ability to express yourself and suggest changes to current tasks you may benefit from assertiveness training to boost your confidence in these skills.

Despite the positives associated with being assertive, you and many of your colleagues may struggle at times to reveal your true feelings on work-related activities. Experts have identified a continuum from assertiveness to aggression that most people lie along. Those resting at the extremes of this scale are likely to come across more challenges than those who occupy the centre.

For example, people who lack assertiveness skills may find they always say yes to work requests, even if this impacts significantly on their own day, for fear of rocking the boat. This can lead to stress and lower work productivity for those who do not effectively communicate their discontent to others. At the other end of the scale, aggressive colleagues may be feared, thought of as bullies and often risk disrupting workplaces and teams with their behaviour.

If you believe that you show these types of traits, it may benefit you to sign up to a course that teaches you how to clearly and confidently express yourself, which will help you to enjoy your work environment and strengthen your communications skills. An important part of this training examines the difference between assertive and aggressive traits. Many people mistakenly believe that people who use fear and intimidation are assertive, but according to experts this is not the case.

Assertive behaviour is used to define techniques that help people to share their views without causing distress to others, which is not the communication style favoured by aggressive colleagues. If you wish, you can learn how to adapt your communication style so you can get your point across in a respectful manner. For instance, if you have been asked to continually work late when you do not want to, it is better to calmly state your reasons using careful wording rather than react angrily and make negative comments about the worker who made the request.

As well as choosing words that reveal your thoughts on a matter, while also refraining from intimidating language, it is important to consider your body language when you are speaking. The way you stand, sit and the amount of eye contact you hold with colleagues can all give indications into your mood at a present time. In order to speak assertively to your fellow workers, you may like to adopt more confident body language and direct eye contact, which courses can teach you.

Also, if you tend to find people shrinking away from you as you state your opinions it may be advantageous to examine more open, relaxed poses while sitting or standing so you can put your fellow employees at their ease. Assertiveness training is also recommended for those who wish to get the best from their team members who may struggle to communicate in this manner to other colleagues. In this instance, you can provide tips to your workers and deal effectively with aggressive and passive personalities in order to bring harmony to your workplace.