What do you do if you struggle to assert yourself in professional settings?

If asserting yourself in professional settings is a challenge, start by recognizing your value and expertise, and practice communicating assertively, expressing your thoughts and ideas confidently while respecting others. Set clear boundaries, prioritize your needs, and gradually push yourself out of your comfort zone. Seek support from mentors or coaches, and remember that asserting yourself is a skill that improves with practice and self-awareness.

Introspection is always valuable when you've hit a stumbling block. Ask yourself "why" at least 7 times and in your answers may the kernel of where you can begin to make some changes that will move the needle on your feeling more comfortable in speaking up. Use your resources, get support, a sounding board, a coach, a mentor to help you see your blindspots and help you make the appropriate behavior changes. The resistance you are experiencing is inside you and wants to come out. It might offer you some insight regarding the situations that you can manage and be able to express yourself fully and productively.

Knowing oneself is important, if one has to fix one's poor communication. Trying to evolve yourself from not exerting oneself in a professional environment, means one has been able to understand one's ability, talent, and communication prowess. If you understand yourself, you will be able to know the reason why you are hesitating to communicate effectively in spaces that need adequate communication. Also, one has to come out with the right strategy to be able to create the right communication impact.

Great article that helps me to organize my thoughts. I can also add that you shouldn't rush results and accept the phase when you doubt yourself and accept that you don't have to start perfect, once you overcome this phase you'll find the clear path. Thank you ??

Fear factor holds us all back at times. Recognizing where and why you are afraid and understanding your motivations to contribute can really help to overcome this. Your input can be valuable and really help colleagues and work so keep reminding yourself of why you want to be more assertive and the positive impact this can have!

If you struggle to speak up confidently at work, setting goals can help. First, think about situations where you want to be more assertive, like in meetings or talking with clients. Then, decide on small, achievable things you can do to be more confident, like sharing ideas in meetings or clearly stating your needs to clients. Keep track of how you're doing and celebrate when you make progress. If you face challenges, learn from them and keep going. With time and effort, you'll get better at asserting yourself in professional situations.

Setting smart goals is also important if one will be able to get rid of breaking the ice and implementing a great communication strategy. Individuals who spend their time, giving the best effort and putting in the right amount of hard work into developing their communication, will be able to move past their poor communication. For an individual to be able to develop his communication skill, he can start by gradually putting the right effort into achieving small communication goals and improving on it over time.

I often think about the word, "Assert" and offer an interpretation. Being confident in your message offers you the ability to speak up in a professional setting. Being prepared offers you confidence. Do the work and be prepared. Be coached offers the opportunity to gain wisdom which offers you the ability to communicate and to be professional. Being coachable offers you the opportunity to continuously learn and to become effective as a coach and as a leader. I often see people who try to assert themselves as lacking confidence, wisdom, and ineffective because they weren't students before they became a teacher. Hope this helps.

Understanding your meta-programming in terms of goal setting is crucial. If setting well-framed outcomes for longer periods feels challenging, focus on short-term goals instead. Break down your long-term goal into manageable intervals. It's also essential to regularly evaluate evidence that you're moving in the right direction. While striving for goals is important, it's equally vital to ensure they are achievable. Otherwise, frustration and burnout may result.

Trouble asserting yourself usually stems from child trauma and/or past close relationships. Before you can assert yourself you first need to practice self-love and self-acceptance. Chances are you have avoided many feelings and abandoned yourself at times. You're now in a spot where you feel the need to people please and you don't feel capable of asserting yourself. You are a beautiful human that deserves to get their needs met, find success, find meaning, etc. Once you can realize this you are unstoppable ??

If you find it hard to assert yourself in professional settings, here are some concise strategies to help. Understand Your Barriers: Identify what holds you back (fear of conflict, wanting to be liked)... Work on these areas. Build Confidence: Prepare thoroughly for engagements and remind yourself of your achievements and strengths. Start Small: Begin with low-stakes situations to gradually build your assertiveness skills. Manage Emotions: Use techniques like deep breathing to control emotions and remain composed. Keep Learning: Consider workshops or courses on assertiveness or public speaking to develop your skills further. Improving assertiveness is a gradual process—practice consistently and acknowledge your progress along the way.

Practice makes perfect. People who possess great communication abilities, where able to cultivate it over time. It is not immediate and is a result of deliberately developing this skill, over a long period. To stand a chance one has to dedicate one's time to winning small arguments and mastering persuasion and assertiveness.

Absolutely, your body language is a powerful communicator of confidence and assertiveness. By maintaining eye contact, standing or sitting up straight, and using gestures that convey engagement without aggression, you project an image of self-assurance and competence. These nonverbal cues can significantly impact how others perceive you and can enhance your effectiveness in various social and professional interactions. Consistently practicing and refining these body language techniques can help you exude confidence and assertiveness in any situation.

Did you know that up to 55% of communication is non-verbal - i.e., body language, gestures, tone of voice and facial expressions. Stand or sit up straight and avoid slouching. You want to seem confident, not shy, so position yourself in a sense of power by holding yourself as such. Allow yourself to be open - don't cross your arms or put your hands in your pockets. This helps you to seem more approachable and open. The place in which you position yourself is also just as important. Give yourself space and the person/audience a space to observe you and hear you. Ensure your space is respected, just as you respect others.

Understanding how to utilize body language is important to create the right communication strategy. The gestures, attitudes, and moves we make while communicating, are important if one will come out with the right skills needed to dominate conversations. Learning how to utilize body language while communicating, can not be overemphasized.

The importance of body language cannot be overstated in communication. Nonverbal cues such as facial expressions, gestures, posture, and eye contact convey powerful messages that complement spoken words. Positive body language, such as maintaining eye contact, nodding, and leaning forward, signals attentiveness and engagement, fostering a supportive and collaborative atmosphere. Coaches must be mindful of their own body language and attuned to the cues given by their clients. By aligning verbal and nonverbal communication, coaches can enhance understanding, build rapport and meaningful progress in the coaching journey.

Getting feedback will help one to master one's communication and persuasion prowess. People will begin to take us seriously when we receive feedback and utilize it to improve our communication skills. Seeking feedback is not enough, if one does not put the feedback into good use. Attaining an admirable height when it comes to communication can be attainable when we deploy feedback received correctly.

Seeking feedback from trusted colleagues or mentors about your assertiveness can be incredibly beneficial for your growth. Their honest assessment can provide valuable insights into areas where you excel and areas where you might need improvement. It's essential to approach them with an open mind, ready to receive constructive criticism and suggestions for improvement. This feedback can help you refine your assertiveness skills and become more effective in your interactions and decision-making processes.

Surrounding yourself with supportive individuals who encourage your journey towards greater assertiveness can provide invaluable motivation and reinforcement. They can offer guidance, validation, and constructive feedback, helping you navigate challenges and celebrate successes along the way. These individuals can be friends, family members, mentors, or peers who share similar goals and values, creating a positive and empowering environment for personal growth and development.

Building support is like building your own foundation in any set up or scenario. It helps you in sharing your thoughts, feelings and in decision making, without being judged. Even if you are not sure...you will be guided by open and genuine feedbacks.

First of all, If you struggle with being assertive, there is a likelihood that you experienced bullying or discrimination. These factors lead to imposter syndromes & self-limiting beliefs; the feeling that you’re not good enough or that your voice doesn’t matter! In my case, self-reflection did the magic! It helped me understand the root cause of my inability to be assertive. I discovered that my whole life had been shaped with fear. I had no voice as a child. I suffered abuse at home & bullying at school. My voice never mattered & this translated into my adulthood. I did not like it so I had to change it! Presently, I am able to express my preferences, set clear boundaries & voice my own opinions in a respectful & confident manner.

People buy people. At any given point they're waiting for you to tell them what to buy.....if we had that realization,we'd understand how much power we hold and that's an instant boost on our self-confidence and self-esteem

It may be worthwhile understanding which areas does the client find it tough to be assertive in and the impact it has on them. There could be various reasons why someone might have difficulty being assertive eg past experiences, personality disposition, cultural context, fear of conflict or rejection etc. Understanding potential reasons can help in developing a plan to become more assertive.

Develop a learning mindset and active listening. We often confuse assertiveness with confidence or even aggression. Being assertive doesn’t mean dismissing others’ opinion or step over someone else’s toe. We can build a very kind form of assertiveness which starts with the empathy of trying to understand others’s perspective. Listen, connect with others, give yourself permission to ask questions and even say stupid things. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. This will help develop a comprehensive view and will give you the tools to get your message across assertively. It’s fine to feel insecure. That doesn’t give you any less right to express your needs and intentions kindly.

There are loads of tricks and techniques you can learn and practice to build habits in exercising assertiveness in presence, speech, boundary- setting, etc. However getting to the reason for why it is a struggle in the first place might be the most effective and lasting transformation you can then build on with all the techniques. What is the fear behind attempting to assert yourself? Once you honesty answer that question and go after crushing THAT, inassertiveness will soon fade.