The MTL Professional Development Programme is a collection of 202 PowerPoint presentations that will provide you with step-by-step summaries of a key management or personal development skill. This presentation is on "Assertive Communication" and will show you how to use a range of assertiveness techniques in different relationship situations.  

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MTL: The Professional Development Programme
Assertive Communication
ASSERTIVE
COMMUNICATION
Open, honest, and truthful
MTL: The Professional Development Programme

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MTL: The Professional Development Programme
Assertive Communication
Attribution: All images are from sources where a Creative Commons license exists for commercial use. All icons are on subscription
from thenounproject. All clipart is from free sources. The MTL Professional Development Programme is copyright of Manage Train
Learn.
Assertive
Communication
Introduction: If asked to state where assertiveness can make the biggest
difference, most experts would almost certainly say, "in the power of your
communication". Assertive communication, whether in word, deed, or image, is
assertiveness.

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MTL: The Professional Development Programme
Assertive Communication
https://pixabay.com/en/poison-bottle-medicine-old-symbol-1481596/
Poison phrases are a feature of fear and blame
1. AVOID
POISON
PHRASES
One of the most damaging kinds of
communication is "You" messages where
someone's actions make us feel a certain way, for
example, "You make me so angry". These are
known as "poison phrases" for the damage they
do. Instead, when someone does something and
it makes you feel a certain way, own your feelings.
Instead of blame, use "I" phrases, as in "When
you come late, I feel cross".

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MTL: The Professional Development Programme
Assertive Communication
2. DESCRIBE,
DON'T JUDGE
https://www.flickr.com/photos/evilerin/3093851614/
Avoid labelling others because of their behaviour
Judging others with labels is a trick that our ego
teaches us when we are young. It is the ego's way
of keeping people at a distance and so destroying
good communication. Instead of judging
someone, for example, "she's stupid", use honest
and accurate communication devoid of judgment,
as in "she makes mistakes about once or twice a
week".

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Assertive Communication
To make things clear, say what you mean
3. BE
SPECIFIC
https://pixabay.com/en/student-biology-notes-think-study-732012/
Sweeping statements are another category of
communication that we often use but which are
factually incorrect, as in "You're always late".
Instead, think before you speak and use honest
and accurate communication, as in "That's the
second time you've been late this month".

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Assertive Communication
4. THREE
WORDS TO
ELIMINATE
https://www.flickr.com/photos/garryknight/3861865246/
Eliminate words that belittle what you do
There are three words that are often used by
unassertive people to downgrade themselves.
They are:
a. "just" as in "I'm just a clerk"
b. "only" as in "She's only a housewife"
c. "try" as in "I'll try to do it by tonight".
Practise saying these sentences without the
unassertive words and in a positive clear tone.
Notice the difference.

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Assertive Communication
5. FOGGING
https://pixabay.com/en/fog-mist-golden-sunrise-lake-79456/
Fogging, like fog, confuses others with an unexpected reply
"Fogging" is an assertive response to criticism and
sarcasm. You can use it when someone makes a
comment about you that is indirectly aggressive
and intended to antagonise you, for example,
when you arrive late to work and someone
sarcastically says, "Train late again?". Simply take
the words, find the truth in them and respond
with an assertive tone, as in, "Yes, I'm going to
have to re-think my journey from now on."
Imagine taking the sarcasm or criticism and
deadening it in a fog between you and the
speaker.

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Assertive Communication
6. BROKEN
RECORD
https://pixabay.com/en/turntable-old-music-nostalgia-1790051/
Broken record means not being put off what you want
"Broken record" takes its name from a stuck
gramophone record. It is also known as "instant
replay". Use it when someone wants you to do
something that you don't want to do and is being
overly persistent. Simply repeat what you want
over and over without becoming cross, unkind or
raising your voice. In this way, you recognise what
they want but assert your own wishes as well.

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Assertive Communication
https://pixabay.com/en/feedback-contact-reaction-post-1213042/
Tell others what you genuinely like about them
7.
CONSTRUCTIVE
FEEDBACK
Constructive feedback is a way to tell someone
what you liked or didn't like about them. It does it
in a way that avoids being flattering on the one
hand or critical on the other. The key to
constructive feedback is to focus your comments
on people's behaviour, not on them as
individuals. This works because people can easily
change what they do; they cannot change who
they are.

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Assertive Communication
This has been a Slide Topic from Manage Train Learn
AFinal
Word
Most of our communication is the result of habit which, by being lazy and habitual, can damage
relationships. Practise the techniques of assertive communication and your relationships will be
transformed.