What do you do if your assertiveness is hindering effective decision-making in culture change?

2 How to recognize if your assertiveness is hindering decision-making

Becoming aware of how your assertiveness is affecting your interactions and outcomes is the first step to address the issue. To do this, you can ask yourself reflective questions such as whether you listen to others with curiosity and openness, or if you interrupt, dismiss, or criticize them. Additionally, consider if you seek to understand the needs, interests, and emotions of others or focus solely on your own agenda and goals. Do you invite and encourage diverse opinions and inputs, or do you impose your views and solutions? It's also important to think about whether you respect and appreciate the contributions of others or take credit or blame for everything. Finally, ask yourself if you adapt and compromise when necessary or insist on having things your way. Additionally, you can solicit feedback from your colleagues, managers, or partners to gain insight into how they perceive your assertiveness and how it impacts their engagement and satisfaction.

3 How to balance assertiveness with other skills and attitudes

Once you have identified the areas where your assertiveness is causing problems, you can work on developing and applying other skills and attitudes that will complement and moderate your assertiveness. For instance, empathy is the ability to sense and share the feelings of others, showing genuine care and compassion. Humility involves acknowledging your limitations, mistakes, and biases, and being willing to learn from others. Collaboration is the readiness to work with others towards a common goal, while inclusiveness is the commitment to value and respect diversity. Lastly, flexibility is the capacity to adapt to changing situations, expectations, and demands, embracing uncertainty and ambiguity.

4 How to practice and improve your balanced assertiveness

To practice and improve your balanced assertiveness, it's important to pause before you speak or act and ask yourself what your intention is, how it will affect others, and if it is the best way to communicate or achieve your goal. Additionally, using "I" statements instead of "you" statements can help express your thoughts and feelings without blaming or accusing others. Active listening skills, such as paraphrasing, summarizing, and asking open-ended questions, can show interest in understanding others' perspectives and needs. Additionally, providing positive and constructive feedback rather than negative and judgmental criticism can help acknowledge strengths and suggest improvements. Lastly, seeking win-win solutions rather than win-lose or lose-lose outcomes by finding common ground and mutual benefits is essential.

5 How to deal with the challenges and benefits of balanced assertiveness

Balancing your assertiveness with other skills and attitudes might not be easy or comfortable at first, especially if you are used to being more dominant or assertive in your style. You may feel vulnerable or insecure when exposing your emotions and admitting your flaws, or face resistance or backlash from those who don't trust or appreciate your change of behavior. Additionally, you may worry about losing control or influence as you share power and decision-making with others. However, the benefits of doing so are plentiful. Building trust and rapport by showing respect and empathy for others can enhance creativity and innovation, as well as increase engagement and commitment among stakeholders. Ultimately, this will lead to better results and outcomes by leveraging the collective intelligence and resources of your team and partners.