Business Training and Techniques:
How to Be Assertive

ASSERTIVENESS LESSON PLAN

 

Teaching Materials:

• One copy per student of the comprehension passage and the exercise worksheet. Assertiveness Lesson - (see below for printable lesson)

Procedure:

Teachers may either print out the lesson and have students read it themselves, or use the lesson for your own skills lesson.

Method:

• Introduce the topic.
• Have the students read the comprehension passage.
• Have them complete the exercise.

Excerpt:

Introduction
Assertive behavior is based on the belief that your wants and needs are important, but not more so than the wants and needs of others. It is an alternative to aggressive behavior, which stems from the belief that your wants and needs override those of others, and to submissive behavior, which arises from the belief that your wants and needs are less important than those of other people. To be assertive you have to:

• know what you want
• be sure it is fair
• ask for it clearly
• stay calm
• accept praise and criticism with equanimity

Why it is sometimes difficult to be assertive
Assertiveness is learnt. If you didn't have good models of assertiveness as children from your parents, or at school, then you may never have had the opportunity to acquire the habit for yourself. Also, men and women traditionally have different social orientations. It is often acceptable for men to be aggressive, while women tend to be more passive and submissive. Many women want to break out of their passive roles but often make the mistake of believing that the only alternative is to be aggressive and they see aggressive behavior as unfeminine. Assertiveness is the third way and, unlike aggressiveness, it is entirely compatible with femininity. Men may believe that aggressiveness contributes to their masculine image but in reality aggressive people are less likely to succeed in achieving their aims than those who are assertive.

 

Continued...

 

 

 

Lesson Printable Materials - Worksheets

Print out the teaching lesson pages and exercise worksheets for use with this lesson:

 

ASSERTIVENESS LESSON
	Assertiveness Lesson * Printable lesson worksheet and questions.
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