Bangalore: Lack of assertiveness is often owing to a negative self-image, which makes one passively agree to everything one is asked to do or comment on. It also depends on the image you present to your own organisation and the larger world outside.

You should know what impression others have of you.

Being too passive or too aggressive does not help in the workplace. People keep away from a person who is highly aggressive, while a passive person is often trampled upon.

Confrontation is not the answer, but resolving conflict is, management consultants say.

Prakash Jain, mid-level executive at a manufacturing firm, had to deal with what most would have considered an outright rejection of his ideas to the marketing head of his company.

Suggestions

He got an opportunity to present the suggestion at a monthly meeting a week later. Well before that, he met the marketing head with a dossier of carefully prepared facts and figures. The meeting went off smoothly because the senior executive was convinced that the young man was suggesting something that could help the sales graph go up.

Prakash's idea was conceptualised formally and presented at the monthly meeting.

This approach could work in many other workplace situations.

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