Do you need to be more assertive in the workplace ladies?  It is not something that comes naturally to a lot of us, but the right amount of this valuable skill is a must have in your professional tool kit!  Here are 4 simple but effective thought starters to build your confidence and help you to be more assertive in the workplace.  Drum roll please…

It’s not about being aggressive
There’s a BIG difference between being assertive and aggressive (super important to keep this in mind!). The difference is simple: being aggressive violates the rights of others by attacking them, while being assertive is expressing your feelings or opinions in an open manner that doesn’t violate the rights of others.

Practice your body language
Practice expressing your views and opinions while keeping your voice calm and your posture relaxed. Make eye contact and focus on other elements of your body language that send messages (that you may not even realise) like folding your arms.

Stop apologising!
Do you find yourself saying sorry when you haven’t really done anything that you should be sorry for? Stop this gals! Be mindful of how often you say it and stop apologising for simply existing. 

Stay up up date with trends in the industry 
By staying up to date with trends in your industry and even other industries, you’ll feel more confident and able to assert what you want. Take this infographic below for example, talking all about changing trends in legal education…

Credit to University of Southern California

We hope these tips are handy reminder of why the right amount of assertiveness in your professional toolkit is a must along with staying up to date with industry trends.  We got this!

TDP x