I am trying to encourage assertiveness in one of my trainees. This is relevant to the job as we work for a debt recovery agency and need to be firm on the telephone.
Does anyone have any exercises or tips they could share with me?
katy seigel
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Assertiveness
Hi Katy,
we supply personal development workbooks as part of a range of materials and our Interpersonal Skills workbook covers this very subject.
more details at http://www.toojays.co.uk/library/personal_development/
(Our Receptionist skills workbook covers assertiveness specifically over the phone)
We also run facilitated programmes on said subject and if you drop me a line i’d be happy to discuss some exercises we’ve used to good effect before.
Regards
Lee
Give a focus and be specific
One route to developing assertiveness in your trainee is to give constructive feedback. To help develop the person you will need to be specific about where you want to see a more assertive approach – be practical and specific. e.g. Make statement: in situation’X’ you did “this” -Ask question: how else could you have handled the situation? Then make suggestions on alternative (assertive) behaviours. It will involve a ‘coaching’ approach – build self awareness and offer strategies; develop agreed goals – that you can then review together. One tip simple tip – devise some ‘core phrases’ together that encapsulate the simple assertive messages that you need the Trainee to be saying on the telephone. Then have them practice saying them to you – so tone of voice etc ‘matches the message’. Oh – and it helps to be clear about what you understand by ‘assertiveness’! Hope this helps. John Bier (Director Wynne Bier Consultancy Ltd. contact@wynnebier.com)