How to Express Opinions Assertively in the Workplace

Recently, I received a video call from a friend who asked for healing after his death. The friend was notified one night in advance that he would be responsible for accompanying the reception of the leaders of the headquarters and writing reports. Out of professional acuity, my friend did homework on the resume and background of the inspection leader that night.
Because there is a work report link, my friend considered that the leader of the inspection team has a digital education background, and the company is currently promoting the innovation of digital office, so he suggested that the report content in this area can be added as a highlight.
Unexpectedly, the leader smiled after hearing this, and teased gently in a rising voice: “Are you teaching me how to do things?” A look made a friend shudder, and the people around were also half-smiling.
My friend was very confused. Why didn’t the leader adopt such a good suggestion? It’s fine if you don’t accept it, why should you embarrass her in public?
In reality, don’t leaders like employees who are too assertive?

1. Leaders like 100% execution? This misunderstanding needs to be understood

I saw a netizen’s sharing, although it was less than 20 words, it had more than 10,000 likes. The netizen said: “Leaders don’t accept education, and leaders require 100% implementation.”
Such high praise obviously touched the hearts of many people. But is this the case?
I met an obedient employee at the former employer before. It was really the kind where the leader said that she must go east for 200 meters. As for whether it was 200 meters, she had to measure it with a ruler. But she was quickly dismissed by the leadership.
Before persuading her to leave, the leader told her a story. Probably the leader asked two people to go to the market to understand the price of potatoes. After returning, one person only quoted two yuan per catty for potatoes, and the other not only quoted the price of the market, but also the peripheral products, retail and bulk purchases, and products from different origins…
In different levels of architecture, there are different divisions of labor. But this does not mean that employees only need to execute without thinking, do not need to take the initiative, and do not need to be assertive.
What leaders really want is unbiased effects. All roads lead to Rome, leaders don’t want to know how to get to each road, but only want to know the fastest ones.
In other words, as long as the predetermined goal is achieved, it is a meeting at the top.

2. Putting forward opinions is challenging human nature. Don’t test the leadership easily

If you meet a leader who listens to persuasion and appreciates people who love to give advice and suggestions, then you must have picked up a treasure. But please don’t ask all leaders by such standards.
Internet celebrity teacher Dai Jianye shared an experience when he first entered the workplace. He offended people the first time he was asked to attend a teaching seminar. The regular content of this meeting is to evaluate the teaching work of other teachers and make suggestions. The person who was evaluated that time happened to be a very qualified teacher.
When he first entered the workplace, with no experience and no one to teach him, he stood up and said one, two, three, four like peas in a bamboo tube. The person he evaluated was a little surprised and his face was not very good.
During this period, the master who took him kicked him all the time. Unexpectedly, he thought someone else had accidentally bumped into him, and asked, “Who kicked me?” After the meeting, he was scolded bloody by the master, saying that he had eye bags.
Teacher Dai’s mistakes are very common. In the workplace, there is an invisible PUA, which only gives suggestions but not plans, and only talks about problems but not implementation.
Because it is very easy to give advice, but it is not easy to give advice that is in line with the real situation of the other party, is willing to implement according to the other party’s personality, habits, and experience, and has a certain possibility of implementation .
Assertiveness, if the decision is your own business, there is no problem at all. But opinions in the workplace mostly affect others.
If you don’t pay attention to the way you put forward, it is easy to turn your own opinions into opinions about others, making others feel that they have been denied, appearing to be ignorant, and even making others think that they are being accused and controlled, which leads to Others’ aversion to opinionated people.

3. Do these 3 points, Easily grasp the scale of expressing opinions

1). Do your homework in advance and make a good plan alternative
What leaders need in the workplace may be assistants, databases, and memos, but they must not be masters or teachers. What a leader needs is not a person who is around to dictate, but a person who can implement it.
Before doing something, you must not first consider your own point of view or position. Instead, from the standpoint of the leader, try to think about the reasons, purposes, and possible difficulties for him to do so.
It is best to refine the specific content under the existing framework of the leader to add to the icing on the cake rather than superfluous, let alone start from scratch. If there is a better framework, you can provide a comparison plan, but you must only give the plan and not make a decision.
2). Pay attention to the occasion when you open your mouth, and don’t just open your mouth
There is no dispute about right or wrong in the workplace, but you have to consider whether the other party will accept it or not. The same sentence, said in different occasions, has a very different effect.
For example, refusing the job assigned by the leader or communicating details with the leader is best placed in one-on-one communication.
As psychologists say: “Communication is not verbal offense and defense, but psychological prediction and guidance.” When talking in public, people are more likely to become defensive in order to defend their self-esteem.
At the same time, use less instinctive response words, such as not saying “I don’t know” or “I think”, but break the ice with opening words that contain the position of the other party, such as “I have listened carefully to what you said, and I am I wonder if it would be better if xxx did it.”
3). Follow simple logic to improve the persuasiveness of speech
An important prerequisite for expressing opinions in the workplace is to speak clearly, reduce information gaps, and avoid misunderstandings. There is an important principle before expressing: don’t directly say what you want to say, but first say what the other person wants to hear.
The most concise statement of position in the workplace can be learned from the golden circle rule, that is, to avoid chaotic and unorganized speaking methods, and to use three concentric circles to speak clearly. One is to first explain why you do it, the second is to explain how to do it, and the third is to express your position.
For example: “The purpose of our event is to expand the brand influence (why) with the minimum cost.
According to the previous strategy, it is a good way to place advertisements in major social APPs and elevator rooms (affirming the previous ideas), but on this basis, we can promote appropriate inclinations to the community by distributing coupons, and consolidate new and old customers Resources (how to do it).
Although this is a new exploration, it requires less investment. If it is done, it can also improve the operation of our community. I hope everyone can consider it (express your position). ”
As the old saying goes: “Shoot the bird that stands out.”
Many people mistakenly believe that all leaders like to suppress independent employees. But expressing ideas correctly is a skill that needs to be practiced in itself.
When your skills are not in place, you really have to learn to shut up; but when your skills are full, you can show off your muscles and win the praise of the leaders!