Communication, Assertiveness & Confidence Building

Anyone who wishes to communicate more effectively in difficult situations or with ‘difficult people’ and who needs to persuade other people to take action or make decisions. Anyone who would like to manage people more effectively.

1. Understanding Assertive Communication: Assertive communication is a communication style characterized by expressing one’s needs, thoughts, and opinions in a clear, respectful, and confident manner. It involves standing up for your rights while also respecting the rights and opinions of others. Recognizing assertive communication involves observing traits such as maintaining eye contact, using a confident tone, and expressing oneself without aggression or passivity.
2. Demonstrating Key Skills of Assertive Communication: Key skills of assertive communication include active listening, expressing oneself clearly and directly, using “I” statements to convey feelings and needs, and setting boundaries effectively. Practicing these skills can help in assertively conveying your message while maintaining respect for others.
3. Dealing with Difficult Situations and People: When faced with challenging situations or individuals, assertive communication can be a valuable tool. It involves addressing the issue directly, using clear and respectful language, and actively seeking solutions. Avoiding aggressive or passive-aggressive behavior is crucial in maintaining productive interactions.
4. Understanding the Importance of Effective Communication: Effective communication is the foundation of successful personal and professional relationships. It fosters understanding, cooperation, and the resolution of conflicts. It plays a vital role in achieving goals and ensuring that messages are conveyed accurately.
5. Understanding Methods of Communication: Communication methods encompass a wide range of channels, including verbal (spoken), non-verbal (body language and gestures), written (emails, letters), and digital (text messages, social media). Understanding when and how to use each method effectively is crucial for conveying messages appropriately.
6. Understanding the Importance of Maintaining Accurate Records of Communication: Keeping accurate records of communication is vital, particularly in a professional context. It helps ensure accountability, provides documentation for future reference, and can be crucial in resolving disputes or clarifying past interactions. Accurate records may include meeting minutes, email correspondences, or notes from verbal discussions.

1. A Model of Human Behaviour: Human behaviour can be understood through various models, such as the psychological model, which considers factors like cognition and emotions, or the social model, which examines how individuals interact in social contexts.
2. Four Common Behaviours: Common human behaviours include assertiveness (clearly expressing one’s needs), aggressiveness (asserting one’s needs at the expense of others), passiveness (avoiding conflict by not expressing needs), and passive-aggressiveness (indirectly expressing needs through negative behaviour).
3. Dealing with Difficult Situations and People: Handling difficult situations and people involves active listening, empathetic responses, assertive communication, and conflict resolution skills.
4. Stages in the Communication Process: The communication process consists of encoding (creating a message), transmitting (sending the message), receiving (perceiving the message), and decoding (interpreting the message).
5. Consideration of the Recipient’s Needs: Effective communication requires considering the recipient’s perspective, needs, and preferences to tailor the message for better understanding.
6. Barriers to Communication and How to Overcome Them: Barriers can include language, cultural differences, noise, and emotional states. Overcoming these barriers involves clear communication, active listening, and empathy.
7. Direct Communication Methods for Teams and Their Advantages/Disadvantages: Direct methods like face-to-face meetings, team briefings, and video conferences foster real-time interaction but can be time-consuming. Written methods offer documentation but may lack immediacy.
8. Direct Communication Methods for External Contacts (Written, Telephone, Email, Face-to-Face): Communication with external parties may include written correspondence for formal documentation, telephone calls for quick exchanges, emails for written records, and face-to-face meetings for relationship-building.
9. Aspects of Face-to-Face Communication (Appearance, Impact, Body Language): Face-to-face interactions are influenced by appearance (dress and grooming), impact (the impression you leave), and body language (gestures, posture, and facial expressions), all of which convey non-verbal cues.
10. The Importance of Succinct and Accurate Records of Oral Communication: Records of oral communication ensure clarity, accountability, and reference. They can be crucial for tracking agreements, decisions, and responsibilities.
11. Reasons for Maintaining Records of One-to-One Communication: Records are essential for legal compliance, auditing, accountability, performance evaluation, and future reference in one-to-one interactions.
12. Creating a Personal Development Plan: A Personal Development Plan (PDP) outlines an individual’s goals, strategies, and actions for self-improvement. It typically includes professional development, skills enhancement, and career aspirations.

Our content is supported by leading and acknowledged theorists and models