How To Be Assertive At Work, Tips For College Students

You are almost done with your degree and are now preparing to advance to your chosen career. During your college life, you have learned and gained numerous skills to help you become successful in your future profession. But there is one thing you still need to learn, and that is how to become assertive.

Assertiveness Vs. Aggressiveness

People often misinterpret that for you to be assertive, you have to be aggressive. By definition, assertiveness is your ability to stand up to what you believe in a calm and positive manner. It is a communication skill that shows your confidence in achieving your goals without trying to be pushy. Being assertive also allows you to deny a request while still sounding respectful. Learning how to be assertive and not aggressive would help you build a better relationship with your colleagues.

Build Your Self Confidence

This is the key to becoming an assertive person. You need to establish and develop confidence for you to become comfortable with what you are doing. 

Try to assess yourself and determine your actual goal and what you will be getting when you achieve it. You also need to realize that you are equally important as anyone. Once you establish all of these, you would gain more confidence in voicing out your opinion rather than just being a passive employee.

Be Aware Of How You Speak

All of us want to build a rapport, especially with our colleagues. But sometimes, we don’t realize that by naturally softening our request, it makes us look weak and uncertain. 

Remember that your manner of speaking reflects who you are and how people would perceive you. Some people would also base your character on the way you speak, so be careful.

Let Your Company Know What You Need 

To accomplish tasks, there are times that you would need the support of your company. Do not be afraid of asking for it, especially if what you are asking for is work-related. 

If you feel that you are missing something to perform to your full potential, voice it out and let your superior know it. Likewise, let your colleagues know the things you need to accomplish the task. Once it is established, make sure that you follow up on it. If the request is not possible, you can always politely ask the management to look over it again for any reconsideration in the future.

Accept That There Are Things Beyond Your Control

Not everyone would see things the way you see it. There are things beyond your control, especially when it comes to the opinions of other people. Be ready to face this and remain respectful. As long you are empathetic of other people, then there should be nothing wrong in requesting for what you need in your company. In a nutshell, do not try to control the uncontrollable. 

Don’t Let Emotions Run You Over

It is very easy to be affected by emotions. There are times wherein your decision and judgment are dictated by the way you feel. This usually ends up with irrational and impulsive actions. There is a saying that goes like this, Do not make a decision when you are too happy or too sad. You have to be logical and should always consider what would be beneficial for everyone.

Learn How To Listen To Others

The reason why some people think that you are being aggressive even though you just want to be assertive is because you fail to listen to them. Try to hear what your colleagues have to say. Remember that everyone’s opinion should be respected. Their contributions weigh the same as yours. It is ok to voice out but try to listen more.

Now, let’s wrap it all. 

There are benefits when you become assertive in your work. It helps build your self-esteem and improve your team’s overall performance. It also allows you to develop your stress management skills as well. 

By being assertive, you would be able to address conflicts and issues, creating a more positive vibe in your team. Just remember, like anything else, practice would help you improve this skill. If you can apply being assertive in any given situation, then so be it.