Assertive behavior at work, why is it so important?

I have already written about assertiveness here and here.

I come back to the topic again. You'll think- "she's boring." Perhaps, but I believe that the topic is greatly underrated and neglected. I believe we have huge gaps in assertive behavior and communication skills. That is why I am returning to the topic with such consistency. I'll tell you more - very soon, because in the last days of September - I will be running a webinar entirely devoted to assertive communication in the workplace.

Staying just in the workplace and in business. Assertiveness, as one of the soft skills, apart from creativity and communication, flexibility and negotiation skills, is one of the most important in professional life. Trust me, thanks to your assertiveness, it will be much easier for you to establish relationships in the workplace, and ... you will keep the much-desired life-work balance. I am convinced that you have stayed overtime more than once, because your boss asked you to do so, or you accepted an order for a fee much lower than what you wanted, just because you were afraid of losing a client.

Do you know, however, that showing assertiveness (especially if you work in professions that require to have "both feet on the ground" - for example, you are an attorney, legal advisor, or tax advisor) in the workplace proves your professionalism? This is definitely a more desirable trait than excessive submission.

Why is it so important? Why is assertive behavior at work so important?

We practice assertiveness in the workplace in three dimensions. If we work in a place where we have a hierarchy of personnel dependence, then we should be able to demonstrate assertive behavior towards the superior and colleagues. If you are a supervisor yourself, you must be assertive with your subordinates, and if you run a business - with your principals. To practice assertiveness well, you need to correctly understand and be able to express the following behaviors:

- refuse to carry out tasks that are not in the scope of your duties (Here I can give you an example, from my own experience. As a very beginning legal advisor, I was asked at the office with whom I cooperated which "to drop the correspondence on the post office". The post office was along my way home so it wasn't a problem for me to do it. However, with time my bosses took it as a “common practice.” It didn't suit me very much, because it usually took a lot of time, and I was already after working hours. It was not my duty, I made an emphatic explanation that I cannot de facto do it outside of working hours.);

- clearly express your requests (you want the applicant to write an appeal. However, do you want it to be sent on the same day? Say it directly, clearly express what you expect!);

- ask precise questions about issues that concern you (a new system for recording time and activities at work has been introduced in the office, you have doubts about what you should write down - ask if you are not sure to not create misunderstandings);

- are you a decision-maker? Do you make key decisions in your company? Always explain, argue, and justify - colleagues will value you much more;

- have you been criticized? Was the criticism constructive? Take it and think about what you can improve;

- praise, appreciate. Skillful expression of assertive behavior is not only about saying "no".

You ask what will all this give you?

Look at it this way - you'll avoid being overburdened with responsibilities. You will keep your mental balance and avoid frustration. You will be more focused on work, and thus you will be more efficient, and your efficiency will increase.

You know very well that a career (the spectacular one) is built by those who can be assertive at work. Why is it like that? Such people are effective, focused, strong, and do not waste time and energy on unnecessary negative emotions. They use it for creativity.

So, regardless of whether you are the owner of a law firm and employ employees, or you are one of the many legal advisers in the corporation, or maybe you run a sole proprietorship and deal only with your own clients - assertiveness is essential! There is no doubt about it. Assertive behavior towards subordinates will cause them to respect, ensure obedience and consistency, and further good cooperation according to the principles defined in advance and known to everyone. Managers should especially nurture and develop assertive behavior. After all, they most often deal with diverse personalities, and this requires flexibility and objectivity - all these are components of assertiveness.

You can talk about assertiveness endlessly. The amount of practice and exercises you can follow is enormous.

That is why I cordially invite you to the webinar, which I will lead in a closed group on FB - on September 29, to be able to participate in it, you must be part of this community.