Assertiveness - Log Book
Recognise your patterns and track your progres
HELLO Reader,
Assertiveness is the ability to express ourselves (thoughts, opinions, ideas, emotions) without violating the rights of others.
The Log Book of Assertiveness
As a coach, one of the tools I teach to improve assertiveness is a Log Book. The aim of the log book is to build awareness; recognizing the times where we asserted ourselves successfully, as well as the times where we weren’t able to communicate assertively. This practice gives us the insight to improve. It allows us to track our progress. Adjust our sails in the right context. It helps us home in on the situations where we can work on our assertiveness.
Personally, I recommend a 30 day challenge to become familiar with the tool. This concerted push helps us ingrain the practice within us and gives us sufficient data to understand the key areas to focus on.
INSTRUCTIONS:
Describe the Experience: the first step is to recount the experience. Reflect; were you able, or unable, to be assertive? Who was involved? Where were you? What was going on? When was this? Detail the context as fully as you can.
Lessons Learned: the second step is to explore the lessons you learnt from this experience. Why were you able, or unable, to be assertive? What were the blockers or catalysts to assertiveness? What were you feeling, thinking, doing at this time? Understanding the reasons behind the behaviour is vital for improving assertiveness.
Future Action: the third step is to plan ahead. What would you do differently? What can you experiment with next time? How can you practice? Outlining these strategies means that you are prepared when you enter a similar situation.
The log book gives us the information and clarity we need to improve our assertiveness. It helps us celebrate our successes and highlight the areas we can improve, creating the impetus to express ourselves confidently.
Happy Improving!
Helping Young Professionals & Postgraduate Students Improve