Assertiveness At Work: How To Be Assertive And Shift Your Career Into Overdrive
By Michael Lee

People who show assertiveness at work are usually the ones who get noticed, get promoted and enjoy salary raises. Of course, assertiveness is different from aggressiveness. Superiors tend to get threatened or turned off by the latter.

But not everyone is born assertive. And not everyone is a natural star employee. If you want to develop assertiveness at work and be rewarded for it, follow the 3 tips below.

1) Participate in General Meetings.

You know you have good ideas. So why not pitch them during meetings? It might not be characteristic of you to speak up; but if you really want to develop assertiveness at work, this is your first challenge.

Once you have gone through this initiation, you'll find yourself having an easier time speaking out. Having the spotlight on you is not always a bad thing.

If you have sensible ideas, the boss will definitely take notice of you. Your superiors will start considering you for other projects and before you know it, you'll be up and running for a promotion.

2) Be An Active Listener.

Listening is not just a one-sided process. One way to develop assertiveness at work is by occasionally nodding your head or murmuring expressions of agreement while the other person is talking.

Asking questions is also a form of assertiveness. It shows the speaker that you are genuinely interested in what he is saying. The whole process becomes an exchange of ideas and opinions.

However, don't make the mistake of asking a question which was already covered in the person's talk. That will just give that person the impression that you were not listening at all.

3) Show Confidence in Every Aspect.

Self-confidence is very important in the workplace. As much as possible, avoid second-guessing yourself. Or at least, avoid revealing how unsure you are about something.

The way you talk, walk and pretty much do anything, requires an air of confidence. I'm not saying you should walk around the office like you're the boss of everybody; but at least act like you're the boss of yourself.

If you're going to talk, try not to stutter. Keep your voice modulated. Not too loud and not too soft. Use hand gestures, even if it's just to keep others from seeing your trembling fingers. The more you try to exert self-confidence, the better you'll be at it.

Assertiveness at work is one trait that bosses of all companies look for in a model employee. It shows them that you are someone capable of leadership.