Today I’d like to pass on three simple tips for improving your own assertive communication through choosing and using your language more appropriately.

Tip one: Don’t over explain or over apologise.Here I would like to concentrate on the language you use when you are standing up for yourself. Perhaps you want to turn down a request from a friend or a colleague because you have something else [...]

Assertive Language Tips is a post from: Inter-Activ Presenting and Influencing

Today I had the privilege of working with some fantastic year 10 pupils from Mayfield School in Portsmouth as part of a pre-work experience conference organised by Portsmouth Eductation Business Partnership (EBP) .

I was part of a speed networking event where various local employers and entrepreneurs spent 10 minutes each with several year groups,being grilled about the world of work. These students were about to go out and spend two weeks with local businesses to give them a taste of [...]

Establishing Trust And Respect Through Eye Contact is a post from: Inter-Activ Presenting and Influencing

Today I was reading an article about human rights abuses and it reminded me that these things also apply much closer to home too. When a person behaves assertively they are affirming that they have rights and so do those they are dealing with.

Contrast this with the two alternative behavioural styles. When people behave aggressively they are giving themselves rights but denying those rights to others. When somebody behaves non-assertively, they are giving rights to others that they don’t give [...]

Assertive Rights – The Key to Developing Assertive Behaviour is a post from: Inter-Activ Presenting and Influencing

One of the challenges around assertiveness is that people seem to be unsure what it really is. It often appears that we live in a world of extremes; good and evil, left wing/right wing politics etc.

Under this model then, if you are not being passive or non-assertive you must be being aggressive. We all need a reminder that, whilst passivity and aggressive behaviour are polar opposites, there is a third alternative called assertiveness which is neither passive nor aggressive.

Passive behaviour stems [...]

Don’t confuse Assertiveness with Agression is a post from: Inter-Activ Presenting and Influencing

Assertiveness is not just about the words you say and the way you say them. It’s also about the body language you adopt. If your words are saying one thing and your body language is saying another, people will give more weight to what your body language is communicating.

Here’s a quick and simple tip to help you adopt a more assertive stance. Stand or sit with your toes pointed slightly outwards.

Did you get that? I [...]

Assertiveness Tip – Develop An Assertive Stance is a post from: Inter-Activ Presenting and Influencing

Now at first sight the title for today’s article may seem a bit odd to say the least. How can anyone be more assertive by saying less?

Well, the interesting thing is that, non assertive people have a habit of overdoing it when they try to be assertive. They over justify or over apologise which undermines the very messages that they are trying to give. In Assertive Communication, as in many other areas of life, Less Is More.

Now don’t get me [...]

Increase Your Assertiveness by Saying Less! is a post from: Inter-Activ Presenting and Influencing

Today being Friday, I’d like to share some practical thoughts on assertive communication. This follows on nicely from yesterdays tip on negotiation skills because, successful negotiators always negotiate in an assertive rather than aggressive or non-assertive manner.

The good news is that Assertiveness is not a personality trait, it is a set of learned behaviours that revolve around our ability to state our wants and feelings openly, whilst respecting the wants and feelings of those we are talking to, even if [...]

Some Ideas for Increasing Your Assertive Behaviour is a post from: Inter-Activ Presenting and Influencing