Communication | ||
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Assertiveness | Push/Pull Styles | |
Why? | Experienced ‘Pushy’ people and less experienced ‘Quiet’ people often exercise the mind of the change project leader. The border between assertive and aggressive can often get blurred.Ignoring the non-assertive person is an easy out for the busy leader. | Typically we use 3 to 5 times more Push than Pull. Increased effectiveness in communication occurs when there is Push/Pull style parity. |
What? | The Assertive individual aims to achieve ‘win- win’ outcomes. This contrasts with rival behaviour patterns; Aggression & Non-Assertiveness | Discrete Verbal Communication Behaviours (VCB) underpin the Push & Pull styles of communication. Both styles are necessary for effective communication |
How? | The Assertiveness-Aggression- Non-assertiveness trio looks at the whole person whether in ‘broadcast’ or ‘receive’ mode, where:
The ability of people to ‘read’ non-verbal communication signals accurately varies greatly. However, it can be learned, provided the person is motivated to do so. | Understand the VCBs which underpin the Push and Pull styles:
Input on the VCBs includes understanding the impact of the broadcaster’s behaviours on receivers. This builds confidence in the use of learned VCBs. |
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Communication Applied Assertiveness | ||
Everyday Assertiveness | Handling Aggressive Verbal Behaviour | |
Why? | We have already seen in Assertiveness how communication is enhanced. Costly communication errors can be reduced when the individual and team adopt assertive behaviours, instead of the destructive behaviours; aggressive and non-assertive. | It is not a frequent occurrence in a business context. However, change projects can be stressful affairs. In reality, leaders feel better equipped to handle aggressive verbal behaviour directed at them when they have learned a systematic approach to handling it. Experience informs us that leaders feel more confident about leadership in general, when armed with this assertiveness application . |
What? | Everyday Assertiveness continues this theme by addressing three everyday situations in change communication. | A six-step process focuses and structures this assertiveness application. It aims to create a ‘win-win’ by concentrating on:
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How? | The three everyday situations are:
The focus is on doing these in an assertive manner, which has an underlying theme of ‘I win – you win; we win’. In other words, change collaboration; change that sticks. | It all starts with the right frame of mind – confident and assertive – to control an event that is more often than not unexpected. Step one concentrates on rapidly generating a positive ‘internal dialogue‘. Thereafter, an up to five step process locks in, which explores the issue(s) and your response. |
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