What to do if you find it challenging to be assertive with your team?

Interpersonal relationships are an excellent way for managers to connect with their teams. Moreover, these connections allow managers to motivate their employees effectively. When employees feel at home at their workplace, they are more likely to hold a positive attitude towards work. Employees who are cherished as significant contributors toward their teams’ goals become more committed. Hence, we can note that relationships are vital in the workplace.  However, no relationships can exist in vacuums. Most relationships, including workplace relationships, need certain boundaries to work effectively. They are required to guarantee the well-being of employees. Boundaries help in protecting the mental as well as physical health of people. Moreover, they keep the relationships clear and straightforward – by ensuring a mutual agreement between both parties that minimizes conflicts inside teams. And most importantly, boundaries are pivotal to maintaining a healthy work-life balance.  Establishing healthy boundaries in relationships at work is the first step toward creating a peaceful environment. Do you believe the same? If yes, check whether you establish healthy boundaries at work or not here!  Many people struggle with establishing boundaries at work. Apart from the initial hesitation, people often worry about judgment and norms. Moreover, communicating these boundaries is a challenge that many people face. It is especially true in workplaces where unhealthy standards are prescribed for everyone. Workaholic cultures push the boundaries of employees regularly and disrupt their lives. The solution to this problem lies in establishing boundaries and remaining assertive in communicating them to others. Strong communication will make your job easier in many respects.  The art of assertiveness is essential for getting many things done in the workplace, including setting boundaries. This is especially true for managers, who have to handle teams apart from their tasks. Remaining assertive helps managers build critical skills and qualities that enable efficient management. This includes effective communication and also encompasses negotiation and conflict management. They also come across as more confident and committed to their teams.  Managers, specifically, need to master assertiveness to become effective leaders. Assertiveness helps them become influential over their teams. Further, it helps them effectively convey their goals and plans and gain support. They set the correct values and define attributes of team culture too. Properly organizing your thoughts and ideas before presenting them to the world helps build trust and respect.  Assertiveness for managers includes many aspects. Primarily, it focuses on communication. Assertive communication is vital for managers, as they can use it to present a firm stand and become bold in all aspects of their work. Assertive communication maintains a precise balance between assertion and aggression. It emphasizes mutual respect and interest among parties to feel understood and appreciated. Managers who adopt this practice can witness a substantial rise in self-esteem and confidence.  However, assertive communication can be a tricky business! While trying to remain assertive, you might end up being too stringent. Therefore, you must take care of your environment while doing this. The first step is to go slow and be patient. Initially, you might need to adopt assertiveness only in some areas and let the other things flow naturally. Over a certain time, you can incorporate assertiveness into your habits.  It would be beneficial if you understood your communication style before you begin to switch things up. The free assertive communication self-assessment is the best way to do so!  Risely’s free assertive communication self-assessment helps you analyze your communication habits. Moreover, managers can draw an accurate picture to identify the blindspots in their managerial style. They can administer pointed interventions to become influential leaders.  After taking the assessment, you can also check out the free assertive communication toolkit to work on specific areas you identified. The free assertive communication toolkit helps managers understand the importance and correct usage of assertiveness. With the help of well-researched, engaging content presented in the form of samples and frameworks, managers can master assertive communication.  In the absence of strong communication skills in a manager, there are several detrimental consequences for teams. Lack of clarity hinders progress massively. Ineffective communication can lead to conflicts and confusion within the team. Therefore, managers and leaders must learn the art of assertive communication and practice it effectively to generate maximum productivity with their teams.  Assertive communication is one of the crucial skills that help managers, but not the only one! Revisit our previous blogs to learn more about the other crucial skills for managers and leaders.