Assertiveness Skills Training Course

Improving you assertiveness skills on their own will lead you into difficulties with people unless you also pay attention to how good you are as a listener. The reason why the London based "Skills with People" course works so well as an assertiveness skills training course is that it trains you not only in assertiveness skills but also in your ability to listen with empathy. These two skills form a powerful combination. They are at the heart of what is now widely known as emotional intelligence. So valuable are they in combination that together they are crucial to any effective communication skills training.

But assertiveness skills and empathy are not easy to learn because for many of us they go against the habits of a life-time. That is why this assertiveness skills training course also helps you examine some of the deep-seated old habits and attitudes that might be holding you back. Not only does it make you more aware of them, but it also helps you unlearn them and replace them with new ways of responding to people and new insights. This course is relevant not only for people whose habit is to be submissive, but also for those whose habit is to be aggressive (also see giving feedback).

What are assertiveness skills?

The assertiveness skills learnt on this training course will teach you to behave in such a way that people are likely to take you seriously and co-operate with you. They command attention and respect. It is often confused with aggression. But aggression makes people feel attacked. It puts them on the defensive – causes them to resist. These assertiveness skills are therefore quieter but much more forceful than being aggressive. And it is actually tougher – it makes it more difficult for people to resist you – particularly when you combine it with intelligent listening.

(Also see "Skills with People" course content)