Skills for assertiveness

If you are an ICAEW member then you could look no further than the CABA workshop on Assertiveness.  It's a day's course designed to equip you with an assertiveness toolkit, practise some skills but most importantly, provide you with a safe space to reflect on the whole area of confidence and assertiveness and what it means for you.  Ok, as an associate-trainer for this course, I am biased, so here are some quick tips:

• Set some objectives.  What do you want to achieve - precisely - spell it out in SMART goals.  What will assertiveness look like and how will you know when you've got it?
• Narrow down the areas that you want to work on.  Most people are not 100% unassertive.  You should be able to find some examples of your assertiveness at work and in life in general.  Look at these, what do you do that is different and how can you replicate this?
• Seek out role-models for aspects of assertiveness.  Don't expect to admire an individual in every aspect of everything they do, all of the time.  Look instead for examples of behaviour, actions, mind-sets that you can emulate.
• Talk to your boss and get them onside.  Rather than just presenting a problem 'I keep getting all the work', also present your solution(s) to win support and get their weight behind what you are trying to achieve.

Take control, take action and let us know how you are getting on....Best of luck!