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Institute of Leadership & Management Motivating Through Formal and Informal Communication | Inspiring Great Leadership. Everywhere | InstituteLM | Leadership and Management

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Institute of Leadership & Management Motivating Through Formal and Informal Communication | Inspiring Great Leadership. Everywhere | InstituteLM | Leadership and Management

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Leadership Behavioural Framework A4 V3.indd

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Leadership Behavioural Framework A4 V3.indd

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The ‘Four Dimensions of Behaviour’ framework: a tool for characterising behaviours to help design better interventions: Transportation Planning and Technology: Vol 37, No 1

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The ‘Four Dimensions of Behaviour’ framework: a tool for characterising behaviours to help design better interventions: Transportation Planning and Technology: Vol 37, No 1

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The ‘Four Dimensions of Behaviour’ framework: a tool for characterising behaviours to help design better interventions: Transportation Planning and Technology: Vol 37, No 1

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The ‘Four Dimensions of Behaviour’ framework: a tool for characterising behaviours to help design better interventions: Transportation Planning and Technology: Vol 37, No 1

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Free Professional and Technical Research Library of White Papers, Magazines, Reports, and eBooks

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1 Resource for Free Professional and Technical Research, White Papers, Case Studies, Magazines, and eBooks

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Free Professional and Technical Research Library of White Papers, Magazines, Reports, and eBooks

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Free Professional and Technical Research Library of White Papers, Magazines, Reports, and eBooks

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Free Professional and Technical Research Library of White Papers, Magazines, Reports, and eBooks

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1 Resource for Free Professional and Technical Research, White Papers, Case Studies, Magazines, and eBooks

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Negotiating Success: Tips and Tools for Building Rapport and Dissolving Conflict While Still Getting What You Want--Free Sample Chapter, Free Wiley Book Excerpt

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Negotiating Success: Tips and Tools for Building Rapport and Dissolving Conflict While Still Getting What You Want--Free Sample Chapter, Free Wiley Book Excerpt

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negotiating success: tips and tools for building rapport and dissolving conflict while still getting what you want--free sample chapter

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Negotiating Success: Tips and Tools for Building Rapport and Dissolving Conflict While Still Getting What You Want--Free Sample Chapter, Free Wiley Book Excerpt

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Free Book Excerpt to Negotiating Success: Tips and Tools for Building Rapport and Dissolving Conflict While Still Getting What You Want--Free Sample Chapter How to execute win-win negotiations every time, in business and in life

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Interpersonal skills are fundamental to successful relationships at home, at school, at work and socially.

Our self-assessment questionnaire will help you to understand how well developed your interpersonal skills are and identify areas that you can practice and improve.

The questionnaire includes sections covering the following areas:

Listening Skills

Verbal Communication

Emotional Intelligence

Working in Groups and Teams

To get accurate feedback it is important that you answer each question honestly, thinking about your current situation, not how you wish to be in the future. Think about how you rate your skills and abilities compared to other people around you.

Once you have completed this questionnaire you will be provided with some feedback designed to help you recognise areas that you can improve.

When you are ready, click the button below to start your self-assessment.

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Interpersonal skills are fundamental to successful relationships at home, at school, at work and socially. Our self-assessment questionnaire will help you to understand how well developed your interpersonal skills are and identify areas that you can practice and improve.

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Linear Model of Communication | Businesstopia

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Linear Model of Communication | Businesstopia

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In linear model, communication is considered one way process where sender is the only one who sends message and receiver doesn't give feedback or response. The message signal is encoded and transmitted through channel in presence of noise. The sender is more prominent in linear model of communication.

Linear model was founded by Shannon and Weaver which was later adapted by David Berlo into his own model known as SMCR (Source, Message, Channel, Receiver) Model of Communication.

Linear model is applied in mass communication like television, radio, etc. This model is not applicable in general human communication as general human communication has to have feedback and responses.

Components of Linear Communication

Linear model has defined set of components required for a communication to be established where

Sender is the person who sends a message after encoding.

Encoding is the process of converting the message into codes compatible with the channel and understandable for the receiver.

Decoding is the process of changing the encoded message into understandable language by the receiver.

Message is the information sent by the sender to the receiver.

Channel is the medium through which the message is sent.

Receiver is the person who gets the message after decoding.

Noise is the disruptions that are caused in the communication process in channel or in understandability of the message.

Types of Linear Communications

Different types of communication models based on linear model of communication are:

Aristotle's Model

Aristotle's Model is a linear communication model which was made for public speaking. In Aristotle's model, the speaker sent message and the audience receive it. The model was made to establish a propaganda. Learn more about, Aristotle Model of Communication.

Shannon Weaver Model

The Shannon Weaver Model of Communication is a mathematical model used for technical communication or machine communication like telegraph and telephone. In Shannon Weaver's model, if the channel does not have distorting elements or noise producing elements, the communication is successful. Learn more about Shannon Weaver Model of Communication.

Berlo's SMCR Model

Berlo's Model was made to understand general human communication. In Berlo's Model, communication depends on many factors: like communication skills, attitude, knowledge, socio-cultural systems, the way in which the message has been sent, the content of the message, senses of the receiver, etc. Learn more about, Berlo's SMCR Model of Communication

Criticisms of Linear Model

The model assumes that communication has a particular beginning and an end, so it is not continuous.

There is no concept of feedback which makes it inapplicable to direct human communication and only applicable to mass communication like newspaper, television, etc. There is no way to know if the communication was effective or not.

Human communication is mostly circular rather than linear as audience is also an active participant.

Communication may not happen in turns and more than one message can be sent at the same time.

The sender must have the ability to encode and the receiver must have the ability to decode.

The model has become less relevant to electronic communication and internet where it's not clear who is the sender and who is the receiver.

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Linear Model of Communication - Businesstopia

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Cite this article as: Shraddha Bajracharya, "Linear Model of Communication," in Businesstopia, January 6, 2018, https://www.businesstopia.net/communication/linear-model-communication. In linear model, communication is considered one way process where sender is the only one who sends message and receiver doesn't give feedback or response. The message signal is encoded and transmitted through channel in presence of noise.

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Berlo's SMCR Model of Communication | Businesstopia

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Berlo's SMCR Model of Communication | Businesstopia

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Berlo’s SMCR Model of Communication - Businesstopia

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In 1960, David Berlo postulated Berlo’s Sender-Message-Channel-Receiver (SMCR) model of communication from Shannon Weaver’s Model of Communication (1949). He described factors affecting the individual components in the communication making the communication more efficient. The model also focuses on encoding and decoding which happens before sender sends the message and before receiver receives the message respectively. ... Read more

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Transactional Model of Communication | Businesstopia

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Transactional Model of Communication | Businesstopia

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Transactional model of communication is the exchange of messages between sender and receiver where each take turns to send or receive messages.

Here, both sender and receiver are known as communicators and their role reverses each time in the communication process as both processes of sending and receiving occurs at the same time.

The communicators can be humans or machines but humans are taken as communicators in this article to analyze general communication between humans. The model is mostly used for interpersonal communication and is also called circular model of communication.

Transactional Model Concept & Example

Transactional model is the process of continuous change and transformation where every component is changing such as the people, their environments and the medium used. Due to this, it assumes the communicators to be independent and act any way they want.

Since both sender and receiver are necessary to keep the communication alive in transactional model, the communicators are also interdependent to each other. For example, transactional communication is not possible if the receiver is not listening to sender.

The transactional model is the most general model of communication. Everyday talk and interactions are also a form of transactional model communication. It is more efficient for communicators with similar environment and individual aspects. For instance, communication between people who know each other is more efficient as they share same social system.

In transactional model, efficiency and reliability of communicated message also depends on the medium used. For example, the same message might not be perceived by a person the same way when it is send through a phone and when it is provided face to face. It is because of possible loss of message on a phone call or absence of gestures.

Factors Affecting Transactional Model

There are many factors directly or indirectly affecting the communication process in transaction model. These can be environmental noise or communication barriers. Environmental Noises can be Physical noise, physiological noise or psychological noise.

Transactional model relates communication to social reality of an individual or a group of people in social, cultural and relational contexts. Their responses cannot be predicted because they all have different backgrounds and mental conditions. Communication pattern depends on various factors such as physical, cultural, environmental, social, psychological, emotional, etc.

Cultural systems, social systems and relational situations are the most over-powering elements of the communication in transactional model, while physical and psychological context has considerable effect on the communication, enhancing or undermining it.

Social Context

Social context in communication refers to the norms, values, laws and other restrictions of a society to communicate within a specific limit. It also includes rules that bind people's ability to communicate. Society shapes the way a person communicates. Some of the examples are: greeting people when meeting, thanking, apologizing, etc.

People can also learn communication from trial and error method, and its consequences ranges from social exclusion to embarrassment. This model also adds that it's not just social reality that help people in the communication process but communication also shapes self and social reality in return. Communication is not only for exchanging messages but also to create and establish relationship helping people in the formation of a community.

Cultural Context

Cultural context is the lifestyle and identity of a person. Caste, class, race, ethnicity, gender, etc are the contexts which promotes communication. If two people are from the same cultural group, they will have better communication with each other.

Cultural identities are made by communication. It changes the communication pattern of a person. Marginalization of cultural groups oppress their communication with the other parts of the society. People become unsure of themselves when they communicate with intercultural groups. Some people also take it as unacceptable.

People have a closed mindset about the other groups of people they communicate with displaying the trait of Ethnocentrism. Experiences, attitudes, moods, cultural beliefs, social up-bringing, mindset, their sense of reality and many other factors affect the responses and the message exchange.

[ Related Reading: Cultural Barriers to Communication]

Relational Context

Relational context of communication relates to relationship history and manners.

A person talks with an old friend differently than a stranger. Manners take the role of communication when it is with strangers. Manners come from pre-established norms and values, and are more scripted making interaction difficult. Type of relationship and the roles of people create differences in the way people communicate. Communication always occurs on the common systems of both the parties.

Criticisms of Transactional Model

Without verbal response, the sender can not be sure that the receiver got the message as intended. Feedback is an important component in the communication process, especially in interpersonal communication as it gives a space to clarify misunderstandings.

The transactional model gives the opportunity for a lot of noise because the communication is simultaneous. For example, when many people are talking at the same time in a meeting, the objective of the meeting will not be fulfilled.

Differences Between Transactional and Other Communication Models

Used for interpersonal communication

Used for Intrapersonal, interpersonal, group or mass communications.

Senders and Receivers are known as Communicators, they interchange their roles

Senders and receivers are different people

Includes the role of context and environment

Role of context and environment are not mentioned in other models

Includes noise and communication barriers as factors

Not necessarily have the concept of noise

Talks about non-verbal communication

Ignores non-verbal communication

Simultaneous feedback

Feedback comes later in interaction model and is not included in linear model

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Transactional model of communication is the exchange of messages between sender and receiver where each take turns to send or receive messages. Here, both sender and receiver are known as communicators and their role reverses each time in the communication process as both processes of sending and receiving occurs at the same time.

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There are many models of communication developed by noted theorists of different disciplines. Among the theorists; Aristotle, Lasswell, Shannon, Weaver, McLuhan, MacLean, Rileys, Westley, Gerbner, Rothstein, Schramn, Berlo, Osgood, Johnson, Cherry are the renowned ones. Some important and well-known models of communication are discussed below:

1. Aristotle's model of communication:

Sponsored Links Aristotle, the well known Ancient greek thinker, unveiled an operation involving oral communication within his/her creating 3 hundred years prior to the birth involving Christ. The Aristotle model of communication is regarded a worthy inside analysis involving modern-day communication interaction. He articulates of any communication practice consisting of a new loudspeaker, a message and also a listener. The Aristotelian model of communication can be as follows:

Aristotle pointed out that the person at the end of communication process plays the key role to whether or not effective communication takes place.

2. Lasswell's model of communication:

Harold Lasswell, a political scientist, designed a communication exchanges type mixing the main elements of communication exchanges. His model became widely discussed especially during the 1940s. He or she expressed the actual type because it defines, "Who affirms exactly what, in which funnel, to be able to which, in doing what effect. " Which means, Lasswell's style of verbal exchanges consists of several parts - Sender (who), Message (what) in addition to receiver (whom).

Lasswell included solely the actual component of social interaction channel. The majority of modern-day theorists talk about these several areas of the actual communication procedure by employing diverse terminology. The particular Lasswell's nature of communication can be found beneath:

3. Shannon Weaver Model of Communication:

The United States applied mathematician Claude Shannon and also Industrial engineer Warren Weaver produced a new mathematical theory regarding conversation within 1949 although working at bell Mobile phone Laboratories in the United States. Afterward his / her style has grown to be well-known as the "information theory of communication." Shannon and Weaver's style are commonly recognized because the course from which this kinds of communication studies started from has exploded.

Shannon along with Weaver product contains the subsequent 5 things:

In these interactive models, they indicated a sixth element, "noise" as a dysfunctional factor. The model is shown below:

A data source, which usually yields an email

Some sort of transmitter, which encodes the particular communication into indicators

Some sort of sales channel; to be able to which usually indicators usually are taken for symbolic signs

Some sort of receiver, which 'decodes' (reconstructs) the particular communication from the indication

Some sort of desired destination, in which the communication occurs within the organizational structure.

Advantages of Shannon and Weaver's model: The strengths of Shannon and Weaver's model are:

Such advantages made this model attractive to several academic disciplines and in other kinds of communication including vertical communication; either upward communication or downward communication, general linear communication, and horizontal communication within the social structure.

4. Schramm model of communication:

Wilbur Osgood-Schramm, the well-known communication theorist, designed an easy devices communication model in his book "The course of action in addition to Effects involving Mass Communication."

Within the product, Schramm found because Aristotle would, of which communication usually requires about three elements-the resource, this communication plus the desired destination. Ultimately, the original source encodes a communication, in addition, to direct that to its desired destination via some programmers, in which the message is usually obtained in addition to the code and the receiver is left to decode the message in interpersonal communication to determine its meaning. The product of the Osgood-schramm model really comes after:

5. Riley & Riley Model of Communication:

John W. Riley and Matilda White Riley, a husband and wife team of sociologists pointed out the importance of the sociological view in communication. They developed a model using social sciences phenomenon to illustrate sociological implications in communication. The model is shown below:

The model indicates the communicator (C) emerges as part of a larger pattern , who sends messages in accordance with the expectations and actions of other persons and groups within the same social structure. it is also true in the case of the receiver (R) in the communications process. In addition, both the communicator and receiver are part of an overall social system. The model clearly illustrates that communication is a two-way process.

6. Berlo's SMCR Model of Communication:

David K. Berlo, a communication theorist and consultant developed a model named S-M-C-R model of communication in 1960 in his book "The process of communication". Berlo pointed out the importance of the psychological view in his communication model. The four parts of Berlo's S-M-C-R model are S = Source, M = Message, C = Channel and R = Receiver. The model is as follows:

The elements of Berlo's model are discussed below:

Source: The first element of Berlo's communication model is the source. All communication must come from some sources. The source might be one person, a group of people or a company. Several things determine how a source will operate in the communication process such as:

Message: Message is the information, views or thoughts to be sent by the source. The source must choose the code or language for sending the message.

Channel: The channel is the method such as telegraph, newspaper, human communication, radio, letter, poster or other media through which the message will be transmitted.

Receiver: Receiver is the final element in the one-way communication process. The receiver is the audience of the message. They also give positive feedback or negative feedback to the sender in a two-way communication system.

7. Contemporary model of communication:

Communication skills like abilities to think, write, draw and speak.

Attitudes toward audience, the subject matter etc.

Knowledge of the subject, the audience and the situation.

Social background, education, friends, salary, popular culture etc.

The modern-day style of communication features developed primarily from the early on work associated with Shannon along with Weaver along with Schramm. These experts have been related to expounding on the process of communication in a way that may be useful in most situations.
Off their work, the ultra-modern, as well as a modern-day style of communication, developed. The normal regions of a modern-day style of communication incorporate communicator, encoding, information, moderate, recipient, decoding, and suggestions along with sounds.

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There are many models of communication developed by noted theorists of different disciplines. Among the theorists, Aristotle, Lasswell, Shannon, Weaver, McLuhan, MacLean, Rileys, Westley, Gerbner, Rothstein, Schramn, Berlo, Osgood, Johnson, Cherry are the renowned one

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BUSINESS COMMUNICATION MODELS - Google Search

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BUSINESS COMMUNICATION MODELS - Google Search

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BUSINESS COMMUNICATION MODELS - Google Search

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20 Jun 2015 ... Some of the important communication models are discussed below: Aristotle's persuasion Model. Newcomb's Inter-Personal Communication Model. Hoveland's Persuasion Model. Thayer's Organizational Communication Model. Shanon and Weaver's Informational Theory Model. Collin and Guetzkowr's Group Communication Model.

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Level 3 Business Administration Communicate in a business environment Unit 03 Communicate in a business environment 1. Understand business communication models, systems and processes. Communication models Proof-reading techniques These include: Communication Systems These include: 1. Understand business communication models, systems and processes Internal and external stakeholders Stakeholder needs Internal stakeholder needs include: Learning outcomes 2 and 3 will be assessed by your personal tutor.

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Communication Skills - Improve Your Communication With MindTools.com

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Communication Skills - Improve Your Communication With MindTools.com

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Learn to communicate effectively and improve your interpersonal communication skills with these 75 communication skills training articles.

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How to Be Assertive - Communication Skills Training From MindTools.com

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How to Be Assertive - Communication Skills Training From MindTools.com

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Do you often feel as though you fail to get your opinions heard, or that people readily dismiss or undermine your views? Maybe you have a habit of handling situations aggressively, or lack the confidence to speak up.

You might have felt unable to do anything about it at the time, but by learning how to be more assertive, you can stand up for yourself, and become a strong and confident communicator.

In this article, we'll look at why assertiveness is important, and explore some strategies that you can use to become more assertive to further both your confidence and influencing skills.

Click here to view a transcript of this video.

What Is Assertiveness?

Assertiveness is a key skill that can help you to better manage yourself, people and situations. It can help you to influence others in order to gain acceptance, agreement or behavior change.

It is the ability to express your opinions positively and with confidence. Assertive people are in control of themselves and are honest with themselves and others.

Assertiveness vs. Aggression

It's not always easy to identify truly assertive behavior. This is because there's a fine line between assertiveness and aggression, and people can often confuse the two. For this reason, it's useful to define the two behaviors so that we can clearly separate them:

Assertiveness is based on balance. It requires being forthright about your wants and needs, while still considering the rights, needs and wants of others. When you're assertive, you are self-assured and draw power from this to get your point across firmly, fairly and with empathy.

Aggressive behavior is based on winning. You do what is in your own best interest without regard for the rights, needs, feelings, or desires of other people. When you're aggressive, the power you use is selfish. You may come across as pushy or even bullying. You take what you want, often without asking.

So, a boss who places a pile of work on your desk the afternoon before you go on vacation, and demands that it gets done straight away, is being aggressive. The work needs to be done but, by dumping it on you at an inappropriate time, they disregard your needs and feelings.

The Benefits of Being Assertive

Being assertive allows you to communicate your wants and needs more authoritatively, while remaining fair and empathetic. It can also help you to become more self-confident, and even improve your mental health. [1]

Assertiveness provides several other benefits that can help you both in your workplace and in other areas of your life. In general, assertive people:

Make great managers. They get things done by treating people with fairness and respect, and are treated by others the same way in return. This means that they are often well-liked and seen as leaders that people want to work with. [2]

Negotiate successful "win-win" solutions. They are able to recognize the value of their opponent's position and can quickly find common ground with them.

Are better doers and problem solvers. They feel empowered to do whatever it takes to find the best solution to the problems that they encounter.

Are less anxious and stressed. They are self-assured and don't feel threatened or victimized when things don't go as planned or as expected. [3]

Have greater job satisfaction. They feel confident to say "yes" to the person and "no" to the task, and maintain boundaries.

The Risks of Being Assertive

Some organizational and national cultures prefer people to be passive, and may view assertive behavior as rude or even offensive. Research has also suggested that gender can have a bearing on how assertive behavior is perceived, with men more likely to be rewarded for being assertive than women. [4]

However, this doesn't mean that you should simply succumb to the status quo! Rather, be bold while avoiding naivety.

There is also a risk that you could go too far. If you become too assertive, you may begin to stop listening to others despite them having good ideas. This will only act to alienate your colleagues and damage relationships. Avoid this by experimenting with small steps at first, until you find what works for you in your workplace. A little assertion at the right time can be a highly effective way of developing your profile and self-esteem.

How to Be Assertive

It's not always easy to become more assertive, but it is possible. So, if your disposition or workplace tends to be more passive or aggressive than assertive, then it's a good idea to work on the following areas to help you to get the balance right:

1. Value Yourself and Your Rights

To be more assertive, you need to gain a good understanding of yourself, as well as a strong belief in your inherent value and your value to your organization and team.

This self-belief is the basis of self-confidence and assertive behavior. It will help you to recognize that you deserve to be treated with dignity and respect, give you the confidence to stick up for your rights and protect your boundaries, and to remain true to yourself, your wants and your needs.

Tip:

While self-confidence is an important aspect of assertiveness, it's crucial that you make sure that it doesn't develop into a sense of self-importance. Your rights, thoughts, feelings, needs, and desires are just as important as everyone else's, but not more important than anyone else's.

2. Voice Your Needs and Wants Confidently

If you're going to perform to your full potential then you need to make sure that your priorities - your needs and wants - are met.

Don't wait for someone else to recognize what you need. You might wait forever! Take the initiative and start to identify the things that you want now. Then, set goals so that you can achieve them.

Once you've done this, you can tell your boss or your colleague exactly what it is that you need from them to help you to achieve these goals in a clear and confident way. And don't forget to stick to your guns. Even if what you want isn't possible right now, ask (politely) whether you can revisit your request in six months time.

Find ways to make requests that avoid sacrificing others' needs. Remember, you want people to help you, and asking for things in an overly aggressive or pushy way is likely to put them off doing this and may even damage your relationship.

3. Acknowledge That You Can't Control Other People's Behavior

Don't make the mistake of accepting responsibility for how people react to your assertiveness. If they, for example, act angry or resentful toward you, try to avoid reacting to them in the same way.

Remember that you can only control yourself and your own behavior, so do your best to stay calm and measured if things get tense. As long as you are being respectful and not violating someone else's needs, then you have the right to say or do what you want.

Tip:

The LADDER mnemonic is an effective way of assertively resolving problems. Mind Tools Club members can read about it in our Bite-Sized Training session, Developing Assertiveness.

4. Express Yourself in a Positive Way

It's important to say what's on your mind, even when you have a difficult or negative issue to deal with. But you must do it constructively and sensitively.

Don't be afraid to stand up for yourself and to confront people who challenge you and/or your rights. You can even allow yourself to be angry! But remember to control your emotions and to stay respectful at all times.

5. Be Open to Criticism and Compliments

6. Learn to Say "No"

Saying "no" is hard to do, especially when you're not used to doing it, but it's vital if you want to become more assertive.

​7. Review Your Progress

Every time that you try out your assertiveness, spend a couple of minutes afterward asking yourself, "How did I handle that?" "What did I do well?" "What might I do differently next time?" This will keep you on track and help you to identify areas for development.

If you experience a setback, don't let it deter you. Instead, try to learn from it. It is important to recognize your successes and keep your failures in perspective.

Assertive Communication Techniques

In addition to the above strategies, there are a number of simple but effective communication techniques that you can use to become more assertive. These are:

"I" Statements

Use "I want", "I need" or "I feel" to convey basic assertions and get your point across firmly. For example, "I feel strongly that we need to bring in a third party to mediate this disagreement."

Empathy

Escalation

If your first attempts at asserting yourself have been unsuccessful, then you may need to escalate the matter further. This means becoming firmer (though still polite and respectful) with the person who you are requesting help from, and may end in you telling them what you will do next if you still aren't satisfied, such as starting the disciplinary process.

Ask for More Time

Sometimes, it's best not to say anything straight away. You might be too emotional or you might not know what it is that you want yet. If this is the case, be honest and tell the person that you need a few minutes to compose your thoughts.

Change Your Verbs

Try using verbs that are more definite and emphatic when you communicate. This will help you to send a clear message and avoid "sugar-coating" your message so much that people are left confused by what it is that you want from them.

To do this, use verbs like "will" instead of "could" or "should," "want" instead of "need," or "choose to" instead of "have to."

For example:

"I will be going on vacation next week, so I will need someone to cover my workload."

"I want to go on this training course because I believe that it will help me to progress in my role and my career."

"I choose this option because I think it will prove to be more successful than the other options on the table."

Be a Broken Record

Prepare the message that you want to convey ahead of time.

If, for instance, you can't take on any more work, be direct and say, "I cannot take on any more projects right now." If people still don't get the message, then keep restating your message using the same language, and don't relent. Eventually they will realize that you really mean what you're saying.

Tip:

Be careful with the broken record technique. If you use it to protect yourself from exploitation, that's good. But if you use it to bully someone into taking action that's against their interests, it can be manipulative and dishonest.

Scripting

It can often be hard to know how to put your feelings across clearly and confidently to someone when you need to assert yourself. The scripting technique can help here. It allows you to prepare what you want to say in advance, using a four-pronged approach that describes:

1. The event. Tell the other person exactly how you see the situation or problem.
"Janine, the production costs this month are 23 percent higher than average. You didn't give me any indication of this, which meant that I was completely surprised by the news."

2. Your feelings. Describe how you feel about the situation and express your emotions clearly.
"This frustrates me, and makes me feel like you don't understand or appreciate how important financial controls are in the company."

3. Your needs. Tell the other person exactly what you need from them so that they don't have to guess.
"I need you to be honest with me, and let me know when we start going significantly over budget on anything."

4. The consequences. Describe the positive impact that your request will have for the other person or the company if your needs are met successfully.
"If you do this, we will be in a good position to hit our targets and may get a better end-of-year bonus."

Key Points
Being assertive means finding the right balance between passivity (not assertive enough) and aggression (angry or hostile behavior). It means having a strong sense of yourself and your value, and acknowledging that you deserve to get what you want. And it means standing up for yourself even in the most difficult situations.

Being assertive doesn't mean dominating or dismissing others in order to get what you want. Acting in your own interest without considering other people's rights, feelings, desires, or needs is aggression.

You can learn to be more assertive over time by identifying your needs and wants, expressing them in a positive way, and learning to say "no" when you need to. You can also use assertive communication techniques to help you to communicate your thoughts and feelings firmly and directly.

It likely won't happen overnight but, by practicing these techniques regularly, you will slowly build up the confidence and self-belief that you need to become assertive. You'll also likely find that you become more productive, efficient and respected, too.

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Assertiveness: Asking for What You Want Firmly and Fairly

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Do you often feel as though you fail to get your opinions heard, or that people readily dismiss or undermine your views? Maybe you have a habit of handling situations aggressively, or lack the confidence to speak up.