1.

INTRODUCTION How to be more

TO ASSERTIVENESS assertive?
By the end of this module, the learner would
be able to
• Understand the concept of assertiveness

• How assertiveness becomes important in different contexts of

communication
What is assertiveness?
• Assertiveness is a communication style that involves
expressing your needs, opinions, and feelings in a clear,
confident, and respectful manner.

• It is different from passive and aggressive communication

styles.
Passive communication
• Passive communication involves avoiding conflict and
suppressing your own needs and opinions.

• It can lead to resentment, low self-esteem, and difficulty in

asserting oneself.
Aggressive communication

• Aggressive communication involves expressing your needs

and opinions in a forceful and disrespectful manner.

• It can lead to conflict, damaged relationships, and negative

emotions.
Assertiveness and it’s relationship to other
communication styles

• Assertiveness is the middle ground between passive and

aggressive communication styles.

• It involves standing up for yourself while respecting others'

needs and opinions.
Scenario
Imagine a scenario where a team is working on a project, and
there is a disagreement about the best approach to take.
Three team members respond differently, each using a
different communication style:
Passive communication
• John is a team member who tends to be passive in his
communication style.
• He feels that his idea may not be as good as others and is
afraid of being rejected or criticized, so he does not speak up
in the discussion.
• As a result, his idea is not considered, and the team ends up
going with a less effective approach.
Aggressive communication
• Sarah is a team member who tends to be aggressive in her
communication style.
• She dominates the discussion, interrupts others, and
dismisses their ideas without listening to them fully.
• She insists on her own idea, even though it is not the best
solution for the problem.
• Her behavior leads to tension within the team, and others feel
unheard and disrespected.
Assertive communication
• Mark is a team member who tends to be assertive in his
communication style.
• He expresses his idea clearly and calmly, listens to others'
views, and responds thoughtfully.
• He acknowledges the value of their ideas and builds on them to
arrive at a better solution.
• The team responds positively to his approach, and they feel
heard and respected. As a result, the team arrives at a better
solution to the problem.
Recap
• We understood the concept of assertiveness

• We also realized how assertiveness becomes important in

different contexts of communication – passiveness and
aggressive communication are ineffective
End of module 1