{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"Episode 191 - How To Be More Assertive at Work","description":"Summary Many people want to be more assertive at work. This week we explore assertiveness as a type of conversation.   Transcript Hello and welcome to episode 191 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we share practical tips to improve your leadership. This week we explore how to be more assertive at work. Many people want to be more assertive at work - you might be one of them. Perhaps you feel your perspectives are overlooked, or you struggle to get your opinions across to people, or you\u2019re frustrated that others just steamroll through and always get their way. To address these challenges, we really need to break some misconceptions about assertiveness. Assertiveness is not something you\u2019re born with. It\u2019s not a personality type or preference. Rather, assertiveness is a set of skills any of us can develop and improve. A helpful way to think about assertiveness is to picture a line. At one end of the line is passive. If I\u2019m being passive it\u2019s 100% about them, the other person and their needs, wants and interests, and 0% about me, my needs, wants and interests. It\u2019s okay to be passive sometimes, particularly on issues that really matter to the other person but don\u2019t matter to you. If it\u2019s genuinely not important to you, it\u2019s perfectly fine and even a great idea to let the other person get what they want. However, if we\u2019re passive about things that matter to us, then that can be a problem. At the other end of the line is aggressive. Here it\u2019s 0% about the other person, and 100% about my needs, wants and interests. Again, sometimes it\u2019s perfectly appropriate to put your needs and wants first. There are issues where it\u2019s important to hold your ground. But if you\u2019re aggressive about every issue, even ones you don\u2019t care about, that\u2019s likely to limit your effectiveness and relationships. So assertiveness isn\u2019t being passive, and it\u2019s also not about being aggressive. Assertiveness also isn\u2019t the midpoint on the line - it\u2019s not 50% about them and 50% about you - that\u2019s compromise not assertiveness. Instead, assertiveness is a type of conversation - one where my needs, wants and interests are 100% on the table, but so are the other person\u2019s needs, wants and interests. The best way to measure your assertiveness isn\u2019t by seeing whether you got your way or not - that\u2019s really more a measure of aggressiveness. Instead, you can measure your assertiveness by whether the other person understands your perspective and why it\u2019s important to you, and also whether you understand their perspective and why it matters to them. We may then have a shared problem to work through - you can\u2019t always get a win-win solution right away. Here are a few quick tips for more assertive conversations: Be clear about needs, not just your wants. Sometimes what people present as what they want isn\u2019t the same as what they actually need. Write down your needs, interests and wants before a meeting then make sure you share these during the meeting. Preparation really helps. Acknowledge where there is disagreement and your willingness to work with the other person towards a solution. If you found this helpful, check out our Boost Your Assertiveness course.   Leadership Today On-Demand Special Offer We have a great deal for podcast listeners on our Leadership Today On-Demand subscription. Just go to www.learn.leadership.today and checkout using the promo code PODCAST for 25% off an annual subscription. Leadership Today On-Demand is a video subscription service that allows you to work on your leadership in your own time and at your own pace. It is available online and through our Apple iOS and Android apps for phones and tablets. Our mission is to help you to become an even better leader. Your subscription brings together all of our video content in one place including: - Our annual conference including a range of leadership experts - valued at $450 - Five online courses with workbooks - valued at $250 each - Five five day challenges with workbooks - valued at $150 each - Nineteen recorded webinars - valued at $100 each - A searchable library of 140+ "how to" quick videos on a range of leadership challenges - valued at $350 That's over $4,500 of content for less than the price of a single online course. And there are more videos added each week.   Get Connected Find out ways to get connected here: https:\/\/leadership.today\/connect ","author_name":"Leadership Today - Practical Tips For Leaders","author_url":"https:\/\/leadership.today\/","html":"