The 4 keys to assertive communication in companies

Those who have had an active working life for a while know that not everything that happens in a company has to do with pure work and hard work of each of the individuals that make up the organization, creating the work or service that is offered to customers and consumers.

The communicative element is essential to explain the success (or lack thereof) in companies, and that is why understanding how information flows is very important.

In this article we are going to focus on how assertive communication influences organizations, and what strategies can be used to promote it.

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What is assertiveness?

Let's start by defining the term "assertiveness", albeit briefly and by way of summary. Assertiveness is the set of psychological abilities and predispositions that allows us to communicate what we think is important to communicate even if we notice that this can lead to certain conflicts or generate unpleasant situations, although taking into account the feelings, beliefs and interests of the interlocutors.

Thus, assertive people manage to express themselves defending their own view, values ​​and interests, but also respecting those of others, and without letting fear of "breaking protocol" or turning the tone of the conversation paralyze them.

On the other hand, assertiveness has an individual dimension and another social dimension. The individual dimension is one that is related to the personality and behavior patterns of each individual, and the The social dimension is the one that has to do with the communication dynamics that prevail in the culture of a certain society, group or society. organization. This implies that from the world of organizations it is possible to make changes to make it easier for people to be assertive, which benefits the exchange of information in several ways, making everything more fluid and less dependent on protocols.

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What are the advantages of assertiveness in the corporate world?

As we have mentioned, assertiveness enhances the proper functioning of communication flows in organizations. This fact gives rise to various ramifications of positive effects for companies, which we will discuss in more detail below.

Let's see what are the main positive points of promoting assertiveness in organizations.

1. It makes it easier for problems to be detected and intervened in time

Where there is hardly any assertiveness, it is normal for the members of a team or department to continue working even knowing that there is an error in the way they organize and distribute tasks. However, if assertiveness is promoted, someone is much more likely to raise their voice and communicate what they have observed about what is wrong, even if technically that is not part of their job.

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2. Generates a friendlier organizational climate with workers

Assertiveness reflects the philosophy of the company or organization in which workers interact. Seeing that it is part of the "default" communication model shows that the entity bases its operation on expressing itself spontaneously, without always counting on the limitations and rigidity of the positions and the organization chart.

3. Prevents the appearance of conflicts

It may seem counterintuitive, but it actually makes all the sense in the world. Thanks to assertiveness, things are communicated at the point where they should be communicated, preventing problems from accumulating and negatively affecting more people and with greater intensity. What's more, By adapting to the interlocutor, a way of approaching the problem is established that gives rise to a constructive mentality, and not of struggles for power or reproaches.

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4 keys to promoting assertiveness in companies

These are several of the key ideas from which it is usual to start to promote assertiveness in organizational contexts.

1. Reward "thinking outside the box"

This will make talking about what is not strictly part of the daily assigned tasks can be rewarded, especially if it provides a clear value. If not, it may be that a work climate is established in which this type of behavior is seen as an eccentricity to avoid.

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2. Don't neglect informal relationships

Workers and members of the company are not robots; In many cases, the most important information is communicated through informal communication channels, which go beyond protocols and the organization chart.

Knowing these information flows is important to know how to adapt the messages when communicating them, and to know the culture of an organization. In this way, the flow of information issued by the company will not be seen as “corseted” and suspicions will appear when speaking beyond one's own role as a professional.

3. Focus on the human component of work

Assertive communication will be easier if co-workers are not seen as simple avatars who carry out a production task, but as people with their own interests, values ​​and emotions. In this way, important things will be communicated while the message is adapted so that it does not give rise to misunderstandings or avoidable conflicts.

There are several ways to enhance this, including various group dynamics, exercises to improve social skills, negotiation strategies, refereeing, impulse management, etc.

4. Set an example

Finally, we must not forget that behaving according to a series of values ​​and principles of organization of work is much more powerful and inspiring than just putting all that in writing in protocol manuals and job. Because, middle managers and managers must reflect this ideal of assertive communication by showing their leadership skills.

• Related article: "Types of Leadership: The 5 most common types of leader"

Do you want to learn to communicate better while managing your emotions?

If you are thinking of strengthening your communication skills and management and channeling of emotions, you may be interested in the courses designed by the team of professionals at Gurumind.

Among these training programs tailored to each organization or company, you can find areas of personal development and learning, such as the "Emotional Mastery" course created for you. make it easier to express yourself and behave as you would like and safely, or the course "How to reduce Stress", highly recommended for profiles especially oriented to the field professional. In addition, the courses make use of the Gurumind app, which includes many materials with guided meditations, Mindfulness and relaxation techniques tools, and more.

For more information on Gurumind training programs tailored to the needs of organizations, visit your page.