How Women Can Be Assertive Without Being Disrespectful to Co-Workers

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You can easily find rude and obnoxious people at any place and office is no exception. However, one needs to know or be familiar with the line which differentiates being rude from being assertive. According to a recent study by University of California’s Society of Women Engineers and the Center for Work-Life Law at the Hastings College of Law, “Women engineers reported that a narrower range of behavior was accepted in women than men.”

This is not a news for most of us because not just in the engineering sector, women are supposed to show a certain demeanor in all kinds of jobs they are performing. According to a study by VitalSmarts, a TwentyEighty Inc. company, a woman’s competency drops by 35% when she is perceived as assertive. However, there are certain tactics which the women can adopt to get strong positions in the male-dominated society.

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Value the Opinion of Your Colleagues

Social support is essential for colleagues as they spend 8 hours in each other’s company on a daily basis. People with low social support are 2.4 times more likely to die in a span of 20 years as compared to those who have a high social support. If someone comes to you with their concerns or suggestions, provide them enough comfort and make sure to voice their opinion in front of all the stakeholders. This gives rise to the feelings of trust and compassion among the co-workers and despite your upfront attitude, you are not perceived as a rude person as you are known for talking business only.

Kindle Your Passions

It is not possible to be passionate about everything and if you are, no one will give value to your stance. Be distinguishable and only value those things which hold immense value in your life. Know your passions and define them properly because your words will only hold meaning if the other people are convinced that she is only going to talk about things which really mean to her. You should also be careful of never letting anyone else’s opinion be devalued because of your stance and remain confident in your attitude.

Incite Top Results from the Team

The major issue with some women leaders is that they approach problems with the perspective of proving something to the world; they are inclined to demonstrate some real women power. This only makes their team members, subordinates, and colleagues, especially the male ones, develop negative emotions for them. However, according to research and studies, women in executive positions can bring about the best performance of the company. A study by MSCI depicts that female leadership can generate returns on equity of 10.1% as compared to 7.4% generated by male leadership. Approach everything from the perspective of your team because you have nothing else to prove apart from the efforts and capabilities of the people who have helped you out with everything.

Recognize Your Capabilities

Over the past decade, the number of women graduating from the best universities has drastically increased and these talented women represented the top 10% of their classes. If you have unique gifts and a number of achievements right under your belt – own them! There is no point of getting a job be done by another person when you know that you are the best fit for it. Go for a win and when you get it, celebrate it wholeheartedly.

You do not have any control over whom you work with but be in charge of the situation. Address the problems assertively while emitting a confident personality yet not appearing rude or disrespectful to any other person.