Have you ever admired a co-worker who\u2019s able to navigate challenging situations with ease and professionalism, no matter the politics and difficult personalities involved?<\/p>\n
You know the type: She has a Teflon-like ability to deflect anger and frustration in the problem-solving process and doesn\u2019t settle for an outcome that would sacrifice her self-respect or clout among colleagues.<\/p>\n
What she\u2019s exhibiting is a key personality attribute that\u2019s important in both business and life: assertiveness.<\/p>\n
For those of us who avoid confrontation like the plague\u2014or, on the flipside, those of us who have hair-trigger tempers\u2014this calm-yet-effective, agreeable-yet-firm temperament seems superhuman.<\/p>\n
Assertiveness requires skill and can take time to cultivate, but it\u2019s a quality you can (and should) aspire to master.<\/p>\n
Put simply, being assertive is a happy medium between the two extremes of aggressive and passive.<\/p>\n
While aggressive people adopt the \u201cmy way or the highway\u201d stance, coming off as hostile and abrasive, passive people can be pushovers, giving up their power and allowing themselves to be taken advantage of, creating a surefire recipe for burnout and resentment.<\/p>\n
Assertive people, on the other hand, tend to seek out and create win-win scenarios. Assertive people understand the value of making their desires and beliefs known, but their pride isn\u2019t damaged if their solution isn\u2019t the one that comes out on top.<\/p>\n
Confident and assured, these people approach situations with a healthy dose of objectivity, and as a result, are able to communicate clearly and work through challenges in a low-stress, no-drama, and self-honoring way.<\/p>\n
Many people find it challenging to project assertiveness precisely because it requires you to walk a fine line between being pushy and pacifying.<\/p>\n
To help you navigate this tricky road, here are a few examples of how to be more assertive in some common workplace scenarios\u2014without turning into the office jerk.<\/p>\n
Your team is in charge of launching a new sales campaign, and you have a killer idea. The team meets to discuss how to get started, and you\u2019re excited to propose your approach.<\/p>\n
In this last scenario, you\u2019ve stated your case in a way that acknowledges others\u2019 perspectives and backed up your ideas with factual reasoning, rather than emotions. You\u2019ve successfully contributed value to the conversation, but not at the cost of making other team members feel unvalued.<\/p>\n
After asking for a raise during a check-in with your boss, she says that you\u2019ll have to wait at least another six months. The company\u2019s just not able to give raises right now, but she assures you your performance is such that you\u2019ll be considered for a salary bump \u2014 when the time is right.<\/p>\n
In the assertive approach, you\u2019re showing resilience by responding in a proactive, future-oriented manner, signaling maturity, level-headedness, and a commitment to the company.<\/p>\n
One of your direct reports is seriously missing the mark. His deliverables are sloppy, other colleagues are starting to complain about having to pick up his slack, and on top of all that, herolls in late every day. It\u2019s time to step in.<\/p>\n
In the final option, you\u2019ve taken control of the situation instead of letting the problem linger and have presented a scenario in which both you and your report win.<\/p>\n
Learning how to be more assertive\u2014sticking up for yourself without being a total jerk\u2014will not only earn you respect among co-workers, but it\u2019ll also reduce your stress, making you feel more confident about yourself and your interactions with others. This high road that assertive people take is where the best outcomes happen\u2014so by training yourself to look for the win-win opportunities in challenging situations, you\u2019ll come out on top.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Source:\u00a0mashable.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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