The goal of our Assertiveness Training is to enable participants to learn to express their rights, requests, opinions, and feelings honestly, directly, and appropriately without violating the rights and self-esteem of others.

Each Assertiveness Training Institute training seminar begins with a self-assessment that enables individuals to understand their personality. We delve into each person’s strengths, weaknesses and stress areas to help people understand what makes them “tick.” We then begin the process of enabling participants to understand how to communicate more effectively with others. Through various activities and assertiveness training exercises, participants then begin to recognize other communication styles and the best way to communicate to them. Here is when the process of becoming more assertive truly takes shape – by understanding the needs of other communication styles, participants learn how to express their opinion and stand up for their interests regardless of who they are dealing with.

For more information on our assertiveness training courses contact us here.

Assertiveness Training: Assertiveness – The Power of Expression

"Assertiveness"- If you visit a bookstore and try to search books on Assertiveness Skills, chances are that you would be a little disappointed. Though the behavioral school of thought has recognized the importance of Assertiveness as a behavioral trait, still there is some confusion and mystery glued to the topic.

When I first encountered the word Assertiveness, my original idea was that it's about getting something done your way, no matter how others think and feel about it. Even popular dictionaries define it as 'having a confident and forceful personality' or as an adjective-'expressing opinions or desires strongly and with confidence, so that people take notice'; the emphasis here shifts from "being confident" to making sure "people take notice". This confused me a bit, as I wasn't able to figure out the difference between Assertive and Aggressive.

This is what started my enquiry about an Assertiveness Training program and the discoveries made for that program were startling. Ryan and Travis defines Assertiveness as "your ability to express your thoughts and feelings in a way that clearly states your needs and keeps the lines of assertiveness communication open with the other". Now let's drill down this a bit, expressing one's thoughts and feelings is ok, one can do that, but how to ensure that the lines of communication are kept open with the other person. This is the 'tricky part'.

Let's take an example, if I am writing this bawl and my wife is disturbing me with some playful noises with my baby son in the same room, then I have 3 choices to make :

Aggression and Passive Submission Versus Assertiveness

Aggression is not Assertiveness
I can simply yell down at my wife with all my masculine vocal prowess and tell her to leave the room immediately. Here I have used my authority and one thing is sure, she will not come back to the room till my work is done. This is the aggressive strategy. Here I've got my way followed, but the crucial question to ask in this case is "What after that?"

Passivity is not Assertiveness
I can submissively leave the room and work somewhere else or altogether postpone the thing thereby killing all the possible creative flow of thoughts coming at the moment. Here I have respected her right to play with the baby and make noise, but what about my rights of expression?

Demonstrating Assertiveness Communication
As a third and novel Option, I can initiate a 10-15 seconds conversation with my wife, appreciating her needs as well as communicating my requirements in a honest fashion. This will create a shared understanding between the two of us and will put both of us on the same platform. This is what is called assertiveness and this is how you keep lines of communication open with the other. The need has been met, but not at the cost of strained relationships or closed dialogue. This example highlights 2 important aspects of Assertiveness . You can choose to respond. The response -- assertive or otherwise-will dictate how you live your life.

Assertiveness skills is choosing the right responses. If from the example listed above, I choose anything except the third-assertive- response, I might not have the power and courage to see through the repercussions of those responses, else I might suffer either myself or create suffering for others. This is what happens when people choose Aggressive or passive responses, and not assertive communication.

Assertiveness is a positive and optimistic attitude valuing oneself and others, seeking respectful communications with others, yet at the same time able to draw boundary lines to save oneself from attack (Emotional/Psychological) from others. In this way, Assertive communication is analogous to a Sound Defence System. Its effectiveness cannot be gauged from its ability to attack others, nor it can be analyzed from its inability to stand attacks from others. A sound defense system is one which can withhold attack from others without attacking them.

There are a couple of Assertive role models which have taken birth on this planet. If one refers to their biographies, one could realise that Assertiveness was more than a behavioral trait for them, it was a 'way of being'. Two good role models worthy of citing here are Mahatma Gandhi (India) and Martin Luther King Jr (USA). Assertiveness was present in their being even in the midst of toughest of challenges that they faced.

If you are serious about your own self development, Assertiveness training can be a good starting point. As Assertiveness skills are the breeding ground for many other useful traits like Confidence, Courage, Leadership, Self Expression, Influencing Skills, etc. Assertiveness training is a goldmine of opportunity for those who are serious to grab it.

Source: Mohit Sharma Link

For more information on our assertiveness training seminars contact us here.

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