Decent Work Check

How do I become more assertive with people who have more experience than me?

How do I become more assertive with people who have more experience than me? Find out on Paywizard.org.

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Answer Paywizard:

Being assertive is the happy medium between being passive and being aggressive and is a very important skill in the workplace. There are a couple of methods you can use to assert yourself with experienced coworkers:

1. Do not be afraid to respectfully disagree with them - As long as you respect the other person while talking to them and your criticism is constructive, your dissent will not seem confrontational.

2. Communicate your feelings and ideas as clearly and directly as you can - If you are uncomfortable with a situation or something someone said, then you should clearly express your discomfort and try nip the problem in the bud rather than allowing it to get out of control in the future.

3. Address situations as they arise - This is mainly to keep your own sanity and to ensure that problems don’t keep piling up until you reach a breaking point.

4. Do not lose your temper - If while talking to others you get upset at what they said, then you should stop the conversation, cool down and try to address the issue later.
Unfortunately, there's no magic potion or spell to instantly help you, but I think that if you follow these tips you will be in a much better position to assert yourself.

Good luck