ASSERTIVE COMMUNICATION STYLE

 

MY JOURNEY TO CLARITY AND CONFIDENCE

I'VE ALWAYS BEEN A TALKER. MY DEFAULT STYLE IS EMOTIONAL COMMUNICATION—I LOVE DIVING INTO DETAILS AND CONNECTING ON AN EMOTIONAL LEVEL. WHILE THIS CAN BE ENGAGING, IT OFTEN LEADS TO OVER-EXPLAINING AND, SOMETIMES, CONFUSION. OVER THE YEARS, I’VE REALIZED THAT ASSERTIVE COMMUNICATION CAN BE A GAME-CHANGER.

MY DEFAULT STYLE: EMOTIONAL COMMUNICATION

I NATURALLY GRAVITATE TOWARD EMOTIONAL COMMUNICATION, WHERE I EXPRESS FEELINGS AND DETAILS VIVIDLY. IT’S LIKE A DRUM SOLO, EACH BEAT TELLING A PART OF MY STORY. BUT THIS STYLE HAS ITS DOWNSIDES, MAINLY OVER-EXPLAINING AND SOMETIMES MISSING THE POINT.

THE POWER OF ASSERTIVE COMMUNICATION

ASSERTIVE COMMUNICATION IS A BALANCE BETWEEN BEING DIRECT AND RESPECTFUL. IT’S ABOUT EXPRESSING THOUGHTS CLEARLY WITHOUT STEPPING ON ANYONE’S TOES. HERE’S WHY IT WORKS:

- MUTUAL RESPECT: VALUES BOTH YOUR NEEDS AND THE LISTENER'S.

- CLARITY: REDUCES MISUNDERSTANDINGS WITH CLEAR EXPRESSION.

- CONFIDENCE: HELPS YOU SPEAK YOUR MIND CONFIDENTLY.

- BETTER RELATIONSHIPS: BUILDS TRUST THROUGH HONEST DIALOGUE.

CHALLENGES AND ADAPTATION

SWITCHING TO ASSERTIVE COMMUNICATION ISN'T ALWAYS EASY. IT REQUIRES PRACTICE AND CAN SOMETIMES BE MISINTERPRETED. BUT THE EFFORT IS WORTH IT. HERE’S HOW TO ADAPT:

1. ASSESS THE CONTEXT: TAILOR YOUR STYLE TO THE SITUATION.

2. KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE: UNDERSTAND THEIR PREFERENCES.

3. FLEXIBILITY: BE READY TO ADJUST YOUR APPROACH.

4. SEEK FEEDBACK: GET INPUT ON HOW YOU’RE COMMUNICATING.

5. ACTIVE LISTENING: ALWAYS LISTEN TO UNDERSTAND AND RESPECT OTHERS.

EMBRACING ASSERTIVE COMMUNICATION

MOVING TOWARDS ASSERTIVE COMMUNICATION HAS BEEN TRANSFORMATIVE FOR ME. IT’S ABOUT BEING CLEAR, CONFIDENT, AND RESPECTFUL. BY PRACTICING ASSERTIVENESS, WE CAN ENHANCE OUR INTERACTIONS AND BUILD STRONGER RELATIONSHIPS.

STAY ASSERTIVE,

CHRIS HOBBICK

June 07, 2024 0 comments