Essential techniques to improve daily assertive communication.

There are certain qualities that people have only recently started talking about, but that have always been essential—especially for enjoying a workday without stress, or at least having the ability to manage it so that it doesn’t affect your mental health once the peak has passed. These qualities are resilience—which we’ve already discussed in another post—and assertiveness, which we’ll explore in this one.

Would you like to learn assertive communication techniques to improve your relationship with your coworkers and feel better about yourself? Don’t stop reading this article!

Let’s start by understanding what assertiveness is

Assertiveness is one of the most important social skills that helps you find balance and harmony in any environment. This quality involves defending your rights, ideas, or interests with respect and empathy, without falling into aggression or passivity. But to better understand the concept, ask yourself two questions: How many times have you lost your temper when expressing your point of view? And how many times have you agreed to something you didn’t want just to avoid an argument? Probably too many.

In general, when we act impulsively or submissively accept others’ decisions, we end up feeling bad or regretting our attitude. To avoid these outcomes, it’s best to adopt an assertive stance that allows you to set boundaries while still listening and engaging in reasonable dialogue with others.

Assertive communication techniques to survive a work meeting

Now that you know what assertiveness is, you’ve likely deduced that it’s essential for dealing with daily workplace routines—especially when making key decisions or when you need to communicate your ambitions or needs to your superiors. To help you feel more confident when communicating, here are some assertive communication techniques you can start practicing.

• Express your ideas clearly and directly, avoiding ambiguity.

• Use respectful language and avoid offensive or aggressive expressions.

• Listen actively to your coworkers, showing interest and paying attention to their points of view. This will help you formulate more accurate responses.

• Analyze your own emotions and express them appropriately, avoiding impulsive reactions.

• Accept and respect others’ opinions and perspectives, even if you don’t agree with them.

• Seek win–win solutions instead of imposing your point of view or blindly following orders you don’t agree with.

• Use “I” statements instead of “you” when expressing your needs or feedback, focusing on your own experiences and feelings.

• Provide constructive feedback appropriately, highlighting positive aspects and offering suggestions for improvement.

• Learn to say “no” respectfully when necessary, without feeling guilty for setting boundaries.

• Do not undermine the rights of others.

Characteristics of assertive communication to keep in mind when developing it

As you’ve seen, all these techniques for assertive communication share active listening and other fundamental traits—without which assertiveness cannot truly develop. Take a look at these key aspects and keep them in mind for your next conversations.

1. Always show interest in what the speaker is saying, as this will greatly increase trust and closeness.
2. Maintain an open and relaxed body posture, since our nonverbal communication also demonstrates our willingness to listen.
3. Although your voice may vary in tone throughout the conversation, it should never exceed normal limits; otherwise, you may lose credibility and create discomfort.
4. The time spent listening compared to the time spent speaking should be balanced to avoid a sense of superiority or submission between speakers.
5. It’s important to identify how much, how, and when you intervene, as well as to observe the quality and impact of your contributions.

Remember that maintaining assertive communication will always be highly beneficial, as it improves interpersonal relationships, resolves conflicts more satisfactorily for all parties, fosters collaborative work, and boosts the self-esteem of those who practice it.

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