Assertiveness Skills

Course Overview

Some people just don’t like saying No or telling people they can’t do something. They feel pressurised when someone senior ask them to do something. By not saying no you are jeopardising the time you have available to carry out the tasks that you should be doing.

Assertiveness is about the art of confident communication. It’s about being able to say no but still be respected. We need to be able to say no at times – in fact sometimes it’s a necessity. Saying no in the wrong manner can have negative consequences and could have an impact on the relationship you have with the people around you.

This course introduces and investigates the skills and approaches necessary to be more assertive and communicate more confidently.

We'll look at

· What being Assertive means and looks like

· What are the individual skills that make up assertiveness

· Understanding what assertiveness is not

· How to communicate more confidently

· Different ways of being assertive

Course Objectives

By the end of the session you will:

• Be able to recognise Aggressive, Passive and Assertive behaviour
• Understand where being assertive fits into your basic rights
• Be able to apply the skills necessary to be more assertive
• Be able to deal with others who are displaying aggressive or passive behaviour.

Session Breakdown

What is Assertiveness?

· An introduction to what assertiveness is and what it means.

· Why be assertive?

Aggressive and Passive Behaviours

· Understanding what assertiveness in not

· Looking at gut reactions and controlled reactions

· Understanding the link between these behaviour

Assertive Behaviour

· How to use different skills and behaviour to be assertive

· How to communicate more confidently

· How to use a controlled response and not a gut reaction

Assertiveness and Relationships with others

· Understanding where gut reactions and unconscious reactions come from

· Understanding how our reactions can drive aggressive and passive behaviours in others

Different Ways of Being Assertive

· Bill of rights – what this is and what does it mean

· Broken Record

· I statements

· Power Words

· Giving feedback