Asserting yourself in meetings
Featured in the The Assertiveness Skills Pack training manual
By Joanna Gutmann
Category: Communication Skills
Credit price: 2 download credits (Single user)
People often find it hard to express themselves in meetings, and thus do not put their points clearly, if at all. Those who are more confident can dominate meetings, with the ensuing potential for unsatisfactory outcomes and resentment. There may be more discussion in a meeting where participants are behaving assertively, but it will be constructive and positive. The following rights and responsibilities are likely to be raised. The right to: your own opinions – state opinions clearly and take responsibility for them, for example, ‘In my opinion …’, or ‘It is my experience that …’ Do not put others down for the opinions they hold, or assume that, if you disagree with them, you are wrong; consider your own needs – do not be forced into doing something you do not wish to do, just because you are asked in front of a group. If necessary, assert your right to refuse; not understand – ask directly for clarification or further information if necessary. You will look a lot more foolish by going along with something, if your lack of comprehension becomes clear later. Beware of putting people down, for example, ‘You’re not making sense…’, ‘That would never work’, or ‘How do you think you could get it accepted?’; be successful – be proud of your abilities – if you are the best person to take something on and are able to do so, speak up. Equally, do not shy away from stating your opinions – you are there on merit, as an equal member of the team; change your mind – do not be too proud to be convinced by the argument you hear. In the light of new information or the experience of others, you may well wish to change your views – this is a strength, not a weakness; choose not to assert yourself – you may wish to assert yourself when it really matters, but go along with the others on other issues. To assert yourself on every point may prove counter-productive and result in your being labelled as awkward or pig-headed. Select the issues that matter, and do not waste time later in resenting the points where you chose not to speak.
Participants study the effect of the behaviour styles in meetings through discussion and a case study. They also look at the way their group has interacted, and finally what they have learned to enhance their involvement in meetings.
Who is it for: This training resource is intended for use by trainers to enable participants to look at ways to contribute assertively and, therefore, more effectively to meetings
- Themes:
- Assertive behaviour,
- Contributing to meetings.,
| Resource Type: | Activity |
| Min Group Size: | 4 |
| Max Group Size: | 12 |
| Typical Duration: | 01:35:00 |
| No of Pages: | 10 |
Resources: View standard resources for Fenman training activities
Purpose: This training resource is intended for use by trainers with all staff who have to attend meetings and wish to be able to contribute effectively to the direction and decisions of those meetings. All participants should have completed, ‘Rights in assertiveness’, and must have taken part in, ‘Behaviour styles’, or have undergone basic assertiveness training, to provide them with the background information and understanding to support this activity.
Download the training activity, Asserting yourself in meetings as featured in the Fenman training manual; The Assertiveness Skills Pack