First Things | Practical Productivity / Efficiency / Life Balance / Purpose / Passion / Identity / Happiness - Brandon Vaughn, Ph.D.

Making requests … getting what you want isn’t always easy, and, for many, neither is the asking. Even so, we have learned that assertiveness is not about getting your way in the first place.  Yet, the ability in making requests that are clear and concise is a hallmark of those who achieve what they want in […]

Do you have difficulty saying “no”? Not sure you know the difference between an “aggressive no” and an “assertive no”?  Are you always trying to be nice to others at the expense of yourself? Well, you’re not alone. In the past, I was not good at saying “no”, because I didn’t want to hurt the […]

Constructive feedback is an essential element for everyone in an organization’s workforce. Giving constructive feedback is a task you perform again and again as a manager or supervisor, letting people know where they are and where to go next in terms of expectations and goals – yours, their own, and the organizations. Constructive feedback is a useful tool […]

I have a very tough time handling criticism … being criticized, corrected, or accused – of even the smallest mistakes – and I react very angrily. I’ve wrestled this instinct under control in a professional context, more or less, but I have more trouble with it at home. All it takes is for my daughter […]

You may be thinking: “Telling people they’re doing a good job is easy! What instructions could I possibly need?” Sure, that sounds reasonable. But in reality, most people don’t know how to give helpful, authentic, positive feedback in the workplace. Instead, they simply offer generic compliments and bland gestures of praise. Click to Listen “Giving Positive Feedback” […]

Most people like hearing praise but some people bristle when they hear compliments and others downright hate them. What is it that determines whether someone enjoys receiving compliments or whether they turn sour at the first hint of positive feedback? More often than not, how receptive we are to compliments is a reflection of our […]

Let’s face it … you can’t really be assertive if you aren’t giving your opinion.  But how do we do this in a way that embraces assertiveness and not aggression?  And do we have to give our opinion all the time? We cover several principles of what “giving your opinion” means for assertive styles of communication. […]

Did you know that at least 60% of your communication is non-verbal?  Research indicates it might go as high as 93%.  That is a lot!  If we are going to become better communicators … assertive communicators … we can’t ignore the role that body language plays.  Vanessa Van Edwards of Science of People joins me to […]

Before we get to the assertiveness skills, there are a few last steps to consider.  You need to lay the groundwork for change in your life. Before we embark on strategies to put more assertive styles of communication in our lives, we want to go over a few more suggestions to think about assertiveness, relationships, […]

Now that we have covered stinking thinking that prevents us from establishing assertive styles of communication, how can you replace your thoughts with beliefs that push you toward assertiveness? In a previous episode, we talked about the overall aspects of Stinking Thinking.  Last week, we talked about how this applies to assertiveness.  Now, what types […]

Whatever your mind can conceive and believe it can achieve. – Napoleon Hill In a previous episode, we talked about the overall aspects of Stinking Thinking.  How does Stinking Thinking apply to the topic of Assertiveness?  What are some examples of stinking thinking that can thwart our attempts to develop an assertive style of communication? […]

It takes a touch of genius and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction. – Albert Einstein Seems obvious, only an idiot would try to keep doing the same thing and expect different results, right? But the truth is I’m guilty of it, my friends are guilty, my family are guilty and I […]

Stress is inevitable. A stress barrier can be a great inhibitor to establishing a habit of assertiveness.  Stress walks in and out of our lives on a regular basis. And it can easily walk all over us unless we take action. Fortunately, there are many things you can do to minimize and cope with stress. […]

What exactly is assertiveness?  What is the difference between assertiveness vs aggressiveness?  What about passivity or being passive-aggressive? Many people believe that assertive and aggressive behavior means the same thing. The first step in managing difficult people at work is to clear up this confusion.  What is the difference in assertiveness vs aggressiveness? Click to […]

For most of my life, I wasn’t assertive enough at work (I’m usually assertive enough in my personal life, but even there, I’m not always assertive enough). I was scared to death to speak in public. I’d often allow others to walk all over me, often ending in disastrous work situations. I was usually willing […]