Why Is Assertiveness Important at Work?

Regardless of the field or organization you work in, every workplace has the same things in common. Each office will have its fair share of overbearing managers, bossy co-workers or even a difficult team, and the one way to effectively stand up to any of them is to show assertiveness. This one skill can boost your self-esteem and have a positive impact on your workplace performance and personal happiness.

Four behavior types

In any workplace, you will typically find people with these four personalities:

Passive (or submissive)

People who are submissive make every attempt to avoid conflict and in most instances, fail to address issues that affect them. Although they seem to be keeping the peace, they simply allow problems to fester under the surface.

Aggressive

Aggressive people will always respond to different situations by alienating othersbecause they only see their side of any situation. They can be overly hostile or even rude, but it's their focus on their own agenda that means they often create enemies in the process.

Passive-aggressive

Passive-aggressive people appear not to react, but sctually express their negative feelings through actions rather than words. At the lowest level, this can include turn up late for work or putting in only partial efforts into their work. But this can increase to covert actions to undermine the person who has upset them, and progress further, in extreme situations, to acts of sabotage or revenge.

Assertive

People who are assertive, unlike the other three types, thrive in the workplace, especially if the situations are ambiguous. They are able to stand up for themselves in a way that doesn't hurt other people's feelings. They are very transparent in their dealings with their colleagues and are clear and honest in their communication. They also generate results by controlling their immediate environment in a very positive manner. Assertiveness also leads to high levels of self confidence, which means that assertive people will effortlessly gain the respect of people they work with.

How Will You Benefit from Assertiveness?

Now that we know what the different types of personalities are, take a look at why assertiveness is truly important at work and how taking an assertiveness course, such as the ones from ZandaX, can help you become more effective at work.

1. It helps you to earn respect

When you use assertiveness, it won't be easy for others to take advantage of you, and you won't be easily intimidated by bossy people (your manager or  maybe some of your colleagues). Once people realise that you will stand no nonsense - and that you are sincere and truthful into the bargain - they will naturally respect you.

2. It helps you to control your emotions

Being able to act in an assertive way will help you control your emotions in a better way. This is very important in a workplace, as a lack of it becomes a sign of weakness. For instance, crying is definitely a game changer, but not really a good one.

3. You'll be able to set boundaries

You'll rarely find an assertive person being pushed around in the workplace. That's because showing assertiveness helps you to set boundaries and lets your colleagues know exactly how they should behave around you. When boundaries are set, it adds clarity to professional relationships and helps you to limit unwelcome behavior.

4. It helps you to build your judgment

Even an assertive person needs to have the judgment to pick the right battles! There will always be adverse situations that arise from time to time at work, and assertiveness training can help you to judge when to speak out and when to hold your tongue - and this will help you to steer clear of potential trouble.

5. It improves your body language

As we've said, assertiveness breeds confidence, and this makes your body language more positive. It tells people around you that you are not someone they can mess with! So even without trying, you'll find that assertiveness will help you earn respect at work, and also help you to portray you as a leader.

6. It gives you the confidence to ask for what you want

There can be times when you're passed over for a promotion or raise even when you know that you should get it. Being assertive will help you put forth your point across to your manager, in an objective manner. In these situations, passive people get overlooked, and aggresive people, by being too pushy, often get on the wrong side of their boss.  However, by showing assertiveness you will approach these situations positively, stay focused and get the right response from other people.

7. It teaches you to say no

When you learn to use assertiveness, you'll be able to put your foot down in situations that you know will affect your performance, both  at work and in your personal life. For instance, if your boss is overloading you with work and asking you to spend excessive hours at the office (and if it's something you object to) you can take control of the situation by saying no - in the right way. This isn't something passive people can do because they are too timid; and aggressive people may blow their top in such a situation, which is likely to provoke a whole variety of negative responses from other people.

Conclusion

As you can see, there are a number of ways in which you can benefit from being assertive at work. However, even after a training course, it's very important that you regularly practice using assertiveness: this is the only way it can become a part of you. Over time, you'll find that it becomes more natural - instinctive, even - and that you are able to face personal challenges in a much better way, and in all areas of your life.

Just as consistency is important, it is also vital that you upgrade this skill. In a workplace, you'll find plenty of situations in which your assertiveness will be put to the test. Keep sharpening your assertiveness skills and, without even realising it, you'll be more productive, and confident, in no time at all.