Nursery World - Work Matters: Management: Assertiveness

How can you avoid falling into the easy trap of being a dominant or a passive manager, and inspire your staff team to get the job done? With assertiveness, says training consultant Sue Churchill.

Assertiveness, that magic quality that has the potential to turn you into a model manager - what is it and how does it work? Sometimes, it's easier to define what it isn't. For example, there is something wrong if a manager delegates a task with an embarrassed smile and 'I'm sorry, but would you mind ...?' That approach is almost begging for a rejection, with the result that the already-stretched manager often retreats and takes on the task herself. Not a good use of her time and skills.

So, are we saying that assertiveness is nothing more than a means to an end? When I recently asked a group of deputies and managers why they wanted to be more assertive, the responses were interesting.

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