Life Contained's Personal Productivity Blog

Assertiveness Tip: Workable Compromise

  

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The assertiveness tip for today is the second in a series of tips from author Manuel Smith, creator of the 1970s seminal piece When I Say No, I Feel Guilty. Following is a helpful passage from the book to help those looking to obtain a more assertive posture. Enjoy!

WORKABLE COMPROMISE

"Many people learning to be assertive, often for the first time in their adult lives, do not understand why verbal skills like broken record are used. They ask: 'What do I do when the other person doesn't give in or is assertive to me also?' The answer to the question is that our true sense of self-respect has a priority over everything else. Consequently, if you keep your self-respect through exercising your assertive rights with skills like broken record, you will feel good even if you do not achieve your goal immediately...It is practical, whenever you feel that your self-respect is not in question, to offer a workable compromise to the other person."

What Smith tells us here is simple. As long as you don't lose your self-respect or dignity, you have been assertive and are using healthy compromise skills.

In what situations can you see yourself employing a workable compromise?