7 Ways to be More Assertive in Workplace
Your workplace is the place where you put forth all your expertise and in return, get rewarded in many ways. You thrive to excel at your workplace to achieve success, and to do so, you need to speak your mind out in a way that you sounds convincing. Also, at times you have to master the art of saying no or at times, you must sound confident to get the project you want, without being assumed otherwise. The art of doing all the above things in a precise way is called being assertive.
You will be heard if you are assertive. Here are seven ways to be more assertive in the workplace:
1. Stay Positive
Always think positive. Your positive attitude will automatically exude your assertiveness. If you contemplate of consequences a lot before acting or speaking, you may end up losing it to your negative thought. No matter what, never let any negative thought enter your mind. Continuously rebuff the negative aspect by diverting your mind toward the positivity of the situation.
2. Build Confidence
Confidence is the key to project your assertiveness. If you are confident, you will deliver your speech in a balanced way and your body language will align with your confidence. You can only be assertive at your workplace if you have confidence in self, so build your confidence. Yes, you can attain this quality with a little practice.
3. Avoid Being Aggressive
Sometimes in your attempt to be assertive, you may end up being aggressive. When you are assertive, you speak in a calm and confident manner. If you raise your voice or speak roughly, you will be put in the category of aggressive people. No one pays heed to aggressive people, but those who exude assertiveness, are always appreciated and listened to.
4. Learn to Say No
If you do not want to be involved in a particular task or scenario, then pull yourself out by saying no politely. If you keep quiet, you will be looked down upon as an underdog. By keeping quiet, you actually send the message that you are readily available for anyone who needs a spare which ultimately reduces your value in the market. Pull yourself up and say no when you have to.
5. Earn Respect
The workplace is not a place to accept everything thrown your way just to stay friendly. No, do not aim for friends at the workplace but focus on earning respect. As you succeed and earn respect, you will automatically find friends around you. Be assertive and take the right decision even if you have to hurt your closest colleague. Eventually, the light of your assertiveness will dawn upon others.
6. Do not Always Apologize
Apologizing for no reason or for no fault of yours makes you a weak person; besides, an excess of apologizing may go against you. When in the workplace, weigh your words before letting them out of your mouth. If you have a habit of saying ‘I am sorry’ or ‘excuse me’ too often, then it’s time for you to change yourself. By staying vigilant of your words, you can easily give up this bad habit.
7. Prepare and Practice
To sound assertive, you need practice, especially if you are an introvert. Practice to speak. Start small. For example, if you have to ask for a couple of days leave but you are too timid to do so, then practice it several times assuming your boss is in front of you. Your practice will give you the courage to ask.
You can also learn to be assertive by observing others. To be visible at the workplace, practice to be assertive.
