Importance of being Assertive in the Office
In order to thrive in an office and work to the best of your ability it is important to remember to be assertive. Being assertive doesn't mean being pushy and intrusive. Rather it helps to increase your ability to work independently without excessive supervision. Working independently is a valued attribute in any employee. You can only achieve this type of self-reliance by being assertive and resourceful at what you do.
Being resourceful is an important part of working in an office. You will always need to know who and where to go to for what you need. This may require stepping up, being assertive and asking the necessary questions. It may mean finding subtle ways to interrupt your coworkers to ask your questions, but conducting your research assertively will help you find what you're looking for.
Gathering information to perform your job is something that may require you to cross boundaries and take some chances. If a supervisor or anyone in a higher position than you is the person who has the answers to your questions, you will need to be assertive enough to approach that employee and get the information you need. Your supervisors will expect you not to be timid about finding the way to approach others with questions. If you are, it will only show you as someone who needs to have their hand held through every task. This is not the way to prove yourself to be independent and resourceful.
Asserting yourself also means volunteering to take on new tasks and responsibilities. If you are assertive and make the effort to grow your position by volunteering to add more responsibilities, it will prove that you care about your work and demonstrate your confidence in yourself. As your job continues to grow there likely will be limited access to concentrated training in new tasks. You may volunteer for or be asked to take on something that is completely new territory. What will you do? You will need to break out of your comfort zone, assert yourself yet again and find someone to ask questions of and help you.
Doing your best at your job may depend on your ability to be assertive. As businesses downsize and fewer employees are expected to take on more work, you will find that being assertive in the office is nothing short of a survival skill. It will keep communication freely flowing and help make the working atmosphere supportive and collegial.
