What do you do if your team lacks assertiveness and it's affecting productivity?

1 Assess the situation

The first step is to understand why your team lacks assertiveness and how it is affecting productivity. You can do this by observing their behavior, listening to their feedback, and asking them questions. For example, you can look for signs of low self-esteem, fear of conflict, lack of clarity, or poor communication skills. You can also ask them how they feel about their work, their goals, their challenges, and their interactions with others. Try to identify the root causes of their lack of assertiveness and the specific areas where they need improvement.

3 Create a supportive environment

The third step is to create a supportive environment where your team feels safe, valued, and respected. A supportive environment fosters trust, openness, and collaboration among team members. It also enables them to express their ideas, opinions, and feelings without fear of judgment, criticism, or rejection. For example, you can set clear expectations and goals for your team, communicate regularly and transparently, and involve them in decision-making. You can also model assertive behavior yourself, respect their diversity and individuality, and resolve conflicts constructively.

4 Encourage practice and reflection

The fourth step is to encourage your team to practice and reflect on their assertiveness and confidence. Practice is the best way to learn and improve any skill, and reflection is the best way to evaluate and adjust your actions. For example, you can assign them challenging tasks that require them to communicate, negotiate, or persuade others. You can also create opportunities for them to share their opinions, feedback, and suggestions with you and their peers. You can then ask them to reflect on their experiences, what they learned, what they did well, and what they can do better.

5 Celebrate progress and success

The final step is to celebrate your team's progress and success. Celebrating progress and success is a way of recognizing and rewarding your team's efforts, achievements, and improvements. It is also a way of boosting their morale, motivation, and confidence. For example, you can give them positive feedback, recognition, and appreciation. You can also share their success stories, celebrate their milestones, and reward them with incentives, bonuses, or perks.

Assertiveness and confidence are crucial skills for any team to perform well and achieve their goals. By following these steps, you can help your team develop more assertiveness and confidence and improve their productivity, quality, and satisfaction.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?