Confident Communication and Assertiveness

In this opening session delegates will analyse core elements of assertiveness

• Define what Principled Negotiation is?
• Develop your skills to build objectivity
• Define what assertiveness is using the four-point Model of Assertion
• When to be assertive? How assertive are you?
• Learn how cognitive bias and overly-subjective thinking cloud objective judgement
• Pinpointing barriers to being assertive with different people and situations
• Connecting assertiveness to self-esteem, values and confidence
• Assertive attitudes and behaviours for confident communication
• Berne’s Three Ego States in the Transactional Analysis Model

• Assertive language: How to say what you want and what you don’t want
• Paraphrasing and clarifying to assist clear, direct, concise communication
• Body language: Posture, proxemics, gesture and eye-contact
• Communication and personal impact: Using breathing and voice tools to keep calm and exert strength
• Setting clear boundaries to deliver concise messages: Positive goal setting, setting limits, taking responsibility and accepting consequences
• Use confident assertive language to develop your creativity when problem-solving
• Positive language: Positive verbal techniques for building rapport with assertion

Through a series of practical exercises, delegates will learn how to manage difficult conversations and conflict

• The nature of conflict in the classroom or staff room.
• Responding creatively to conflict in the classroom or staff room: where’s the value?
• Learn the best ways to approach difficult conversations
• Know how to adapt your approach when managing different people
• Understand how to approach difficult conversations and produce positive outcomes for everyone

Practical scenarios:

(1) “Saying No”

(2) “Asking for a Change in Behaviour”

(3) The Persistent Requesting Technique

• Effectively use the skills that you have learnt throughout the day to become more assertive
• Clearly make your point and control over the impact you have
• Successfully deal with difficult people and situations

Practical scenarios:

(1) Dealing with a person being aggressive

(2) Dealing with a person being passive/passive-aggressive

(3) Dealing with bad-tempered people

(4) Helping others to be assertive

(5) Asking for what you want

(6) Dealing with difficult people in meetings