Participants: This course is suitable for all staff who want to develop their understanding of assertiveness at work in order to improve or maintain their levels of performance.
Courses have been targeted to specific staff groups so that participants may explore assertiveness in relation to their broad range of responsibilities, and share experiences with their peers. When selecting which course to attend, please select from the following:
Non Managers (those with no responsibility for staff)
Researchers (researchers with no responsibility for staff)
Managers (those who currently have leadership, management or supervisory responsibility; or anticipate taking on this type of responsibility within the coming year)
Pre-requisites: None
Overview:
This course focuses on types of behaviour and uses techniques to explore how we can stand up for our personal rights and express thoughts in direct, honest and appropriate ways that do not violate another person's rights.
Anticipated Learning Outcomes:
This session will help you to:
Learn to:
Think differently about assertiveness
Negotiate and reach workable compromises
Be aware of different influencing styles
Behave in a rational and adult manner
Use the verbal and non-verbal means of assertion
Feel:
Empowered to say no
Able to take responsibility for difficult feelings
Confident to manage upwards, sideways and downwards
Comfortable asking for what they want
Be more able to:
Handle difficult relations better
Create more rapport
Insist on being heard even if they have to keep repeating their message
Say directly what they want, need or feel; but not at the expense of others
Course Outline:
INTRODUCTION
The need for assertion - identifying real situations
The differences between assertion and aggression
ASSERTIVE/AGGRESSIVE/PASSIVE
Exploring the classic model around assertion
Identifying behaviours associated with each position
Recognising our propensity to inhabit a position
STATUS
The importance of status
Status is not reliant on position or title
Learning and practising the physicality of status
Adjusting status for different people and situations
ASSERTIVENESS TECHNIQUES
Delivering the 'positive no'
Staying in 'adult' positions
Asserting boundaries
TROUBLESHOOTING
Dealing with individual examples and devising strategies for dealing with difficulties
Improvising scenarios to demonstrate techniques and options
ACTION PLAN
Anticipating issues and planning to translate learning to the workplace
UCL management competencies addressed:
Encourages personal development and helps others to learn
Demonstrates effective self management and focus
Fosters two way communication and effective team-working
Preparation:
Please think about Assertiveness and YOU in the following situations:
In what situations in or out of the workplace would you like to be more assertive?
When was a time you felt you achieved assertiveness successfully?
What was a situation when you felt you could have asserted more successfully?
When was someone assertive with you and did it well?
When was someone assertive with you and didn't do it well?
Think of a particular challenge you have at the moment (preferably in the workplace) which you would like to turn around positively?
Please be prepared to give examples of the above and share with the group.
