Aggression – ‘Hostile or violent behaviour or attitudes towards another’ ‘The action of attacking without provocation’
Assertion – ‘A confident and forceful statement of fact or belief’ ‘The action of stating something or exercising authority confidently and forcefully’
One of the main differences between assertion and aggression is that aggression is typically a result of insecurity, or frustration. Assertion however is a confident emotion. Do you feel you will get more benefits from showing confidence or from showing insecurity and frustration?
Benefits of being Assertive
There are many benefits of being assertive over being aggressive:
Increased confidence
Be true to yourself (stand by your opinions)
Less likely to blame others because you take responsibility (allowing personal development)
Increased confidence results in being trusted as a leader
Staff you work with or manage have confidence in your ability
Your team and colleagues know what to expect from you
How to be more Assertive
Here are some tips to help you become more assertive today!
Take Responsibility – Commit to your opinion and take responsibility, say ‘I think’ rather than ‘We think’.
Don’t apologise constantly – Only apologise when you need to.
Get out of your comfort zone – Push yourself into situations you may not be confident in, avoiding these situations will only increase your fear of them.
Be objective not emotional – Stick to facts and avoid being emotional, people around you will begin to see you as a trusted source. Having facts to back up your opinion makes it easier to communicate too.
Be objective – if someone is annoying you focus on the reason why instead of saying ‘ you annoy me’ say ‘please refrain from speaking to me like that’
Learn from an Expert
It is great to follow tips, but it can be very effective to have an expert teach you how to be assertive. Someone to see your strengths and how to improve your weaknesses.
If you want to learn how to be more assertive then take our 1 day Assertiveness course call 0800 0213 263 or visit projss.co.uk for more details.
Sam Barton