It is so important to build self-esteem and assertiveness in the workplace. Every employee needs to be able to speak up at work. If they feel as if they cannot, their silence can have long-lasting negative consequences.

Not having the tools to build self-esteem and assertiveness at work can lead to stress, burnout, or make you feel invisible in a setting where promotions and raises depend on visibility.

There is so much to gain by being assertive and asking for what you need or talking openly about what you want.

Better yet, when you build self-esteem and assertiveness skills you will see straight away when somebody is taking advantage of you. You will be able to approach your work with confidence and make a direct impact on your environment. However, we understand that this does not happen easily for everyone.

The two most important tools to becoming more assertive are: 1. Learning to treat yourself with respect and 2. Building communication skills.

For anyone looking to build a successful career, learning to build self-esteem and assertiveness skills is crucial. Assertiveness helps you earn the respect of your colleagues and ensure your point of view gets heard. Luckily, you can learn assertiveness in a way that is healthy and respectful of others.

Build Self-Esteem And Assertiveness Skills In The Workplace

First, we need to understand what it means to build self-esteem and assertiveness in the workplace.

Assertiveness is a key communication skill that allows you to speak up for yourself in a manner that is respectful and appropriate for the work environment. Assertiveness means being confident in communicating your skills, abilities, and goals without being pushy.

Assertive people with strong self-esteem can effectively advocate for themselves and their interests. Assertive people are not seeking better treatment than anyone else, they are simply asking for the respect they deserve. Assertive people also know when and how to say no to a request.

Why Is Assertiveness In The Workplace Important?

We suggest that you build self-esteem and assertiveness at work not only for your confidence but also for earning the respect of others. The two skills work together as improving your assertiveness will help you increase your self-esteem and reduce anxiety and stress.

Studies show a significant reduction in anxiety after students received assertiveness training.

Being assertive encourages mutual respect and becomes the basis for communication that gets your point across. Also, when you build self-esteem and assertiveness skills you ensure you respect and stand up for yourself. However, you do this in a non-aggressive way and still respect others enough to resolve conflicts without being hurtful.

Better yet, assertiveness can help you find win-win solutions in conflicts so long as the other person is willing to have a discussion.

And if you want to become a great leader, assertiveness will help you transform into a leader that your team respects. This is because you treat others fairly while still upholding the law of the office.

Our courses at FutureFit Academy will teach you the latest thinking, tools, and techniques required for long-term relevance and performance excellence.

Strike A Balance

Sometimes distinguishing between being aggressive and being assertive can be challenging. It’s not easy to identify truly assertive behaviour. However, when you build self-esteem and assertiveness skills there is a fine line between the two and our job is to train you to strike the perfect balance.

That is why it is useful to define the two behaviours so that we can clearly separate them:

• Assertiveness is based on balance. You need to be forthright about your wants and needs, while still considering the rights, needs, and wants of others. When you build self-esteem and assertiveness skills, you are self-assured. You know how to draw power from the skill to get your point across firmly, fairly, and with empathy.
• Aggressive behaviour is based on winning. This is when you do what is in your own best interest without regard for the rights, needs, feelings, or desires of other people. When you’re aggressive, the power you use is selfish. You may come across as pushy or even bullying. You take what you want, often without asking.

Therefore, when your boss gives you a pile of work on your desk the afternoon before you go on holiday, and demands that it gets done straight away, is being aggressive. Sure, work needs to get done. However, by dumping it on you at an inappropriate time, they disregard your needs and feelings.

There is a mature way to settle this kind of situation. You would need to inform your boss that you will get the work done, but it will only happen when you’re back from holiday. This is an ideal way to build self-esteem and assertiveness skills since you hit the sweet spot between passivity (not assertive enough) and aggression (being angry, rude, or hostile.)

The trick is to assert your own rights while recognising your boss’s need to get the job done.

Why Assertiveness Is Beneficial

By focusing on ways to build self-esteem and assertiveness you can communicate your needs and wants more authoritatively while staying empathetic and fair. This allows you to be more self-confident which can improve your mental health.

When you build self-esteem and assertiveness it provides several other benefits that can help you both in your workplace and in other areas of your life. In general, assertive people:

1. Make amazing leaders. These people know how to get things done since they treat people fairly and respectfully and are treated by others the same way in return. This means that they are often well-liked and seen as leaders that people want to work with.
2. Discuss mutually beneficial solutions. You can recognize the value of your opponent’s position and can quickly find common ground with them.
3. They are action-takers and problem solvers. These people are empowered to do whatever it takes to find the best solution to the problems that they encounter.
4. Are less anxious and stressed. They are self-assured and don’t feel threatened or victimised when things don’t go as planned or as expected.
5. Have greater job satisfaction. They feel confident to say “yes” to the person and “no” to the task and maintain boundaries.

Six Powerful Tips To Build Self-Esteem And Assertiveness

Our top ways to become more confident and able to own your space at work.

1. Know Your Value

The first step is knowing what value you bring to the company. Too many people focus on their failures or internal flaws which contribute to gnawing self-doubt and potentially a sense of worthlessness.

When you build self-esteem and assertiveness at work it is best to take a balanced inventory of who you’ve been at work, noting both good things that you’ve done and anything you might want to improve.

2. Own Your Rights

It helps to know what rights you are entitled to at work.

Learning to build self-esteem and assertiveness in your workplace includes learning the legal and ethical boundaries of what you can expect from your work environment. Knowledge can help empower you to seek what you need.

3. Set Boundaries

Setting and respecting personal boundaries is an important step toward regulating stress and frustration. Family events are important which is why you cannot keep taking on additional projects or answering emails before bedtime. This will only lead to burnout. is made of these ingredients.

It will help build self-esteem and assertiveness skills by being realistic about what you can take on so you can remain productive.

4. Practice and Prepare

There is power in journaling, therapy, and confiding in your friends and family. It takes practice to build self-esteem and assertiveness skills which is why you might need to think about how you would like to communicate something difficult to your colleague or your boss.

Know what your goal is and act it out in your mind. Both the ideal scenario and the one that scares you most. Practicing the scenario will help you to explain things you are often uncomfortable talking about.

5. Know The Difference Between Aggressive And Assertive

When you build self-esteem and assertiveness skills understand that being assertive does not have to be bossy, loud, or disrespectful. It just means you know how to value your own thoughts, feelings, and voice as well as those of others.

You can continue to be a kind, likable person while communicating directly. Assertive communication doesn’t look to bulldoze over other people but rather to promote cooperation.

6. Focus On Growing Your Skills

It takes time to build self-esteem and assertiveness skills, to learn and grow. You will build confidence by knowing yourself, your value, and the things you can offer to the world around you.

Continue to cultivate your career and acknowledge how your efforts and strengths bring benefits to your work environment.

More importantly, have patience with yourself as you make these changes, and do not hesitate to seek guidance from our courses.

Stumbling through difficult conversations or losing your nerve at the last moment is normal as building a direct communication style requires practice.

There are ways you can build self-esteem and assertiveness through training programs, group psychotherapy, and even individual therapy.

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