Showing confidence and assertiveness at work.

Developing the confidence to assert your opinions is of the most important skills we can learn during our careers. Every workplace has assertive and even aggressive characters. In a professional environment it’s important to develop a strategy to guarantee that your voice is both heard and respected. 
If you face a bullying culture in the office, here is a look at five easy ways to show confidence and assertiveness in order to achieve positive results. 1. Do your research 
Sadly, bullying culture isn’t something that stops when we leave the playground. Instead the aggressive and dominant mannerisms that bullies learn from a young age follow them into the workplace. 
Bullying often features similar behavioural patterns and arguments so observe the way the person tries to create his or her dominance and superiority (chances are they aren’t doing it to just you). When you understand their techniques for belittling people, you can develop techniques which lessen their ability to make you feel small or unworthy. 2. Know your topic 
When somebody behaves rudely or challenges us in a professional environment, people usually react in one of two ways. The first is to feel shocked or belittled and the second is the react emotionally. A good way to combat both of these reactions is by doing your research into the topic at hand. 
Get an excellent grasp of the figures and the background story and have the relevant facts and details close to hand. This way the next time they challenge you on a topic, you can react calmly but firmly as knowing the facts automatically gives you the upper hand. 3. Expose the flaws in their argument 
Bullies often rely on their domineering behaviour to get through life, usually to mask their own uncertainty. One of the most exasperating experiences is trying to demonstrate the irrational logic in someone’s argument, particularly if they use scorn or sarcasm to put you down in the process. 
The best way to expose someone’s irrational point of view is by asking them to explain it in more detail. Ask open questions: “What evidence do you have for what you have said?” “Who have you consulted for a second opinion on this?” “How have you measured these results?” These types of questions allow you to reveal flaws of logic and method if not only to the bully themselves, then certainly to your fellow colleagues. 4. Get some practice 
It can be tempting to give in to badly behaved colleagues by acting similarly yourself. However, it’s important not to let their bulldozer behaviour dominate your office environment. If someone poses an aggressive or domineering suggestion, sometimes creating thinking time can give you a chance to react out of logic rather than emotion. 
Phrases like “I can't agree to that at such short notice, “give me a feel for your deadline,” and I'll get back to you,” earn you a chance to gather your facts and construct a firm rebuttal. 
If it’s simply a case of wanting to avoid being shouted at, why not think of ways to build up some resistance? Get a friend to shout in your face until the physical sensation no longer affects you. It’s often the unfamiliarity and shock of a verbal outburst which does the most damage, so acclimatising yourself to this will allow you to react more calmly. 5. Know your own strengths 
The first step towards feeling confident in your skills is to recognise them. You might not be the sort of person that shouts and demands what they want but you have the ability to get things done by other means. 
These are usually things like building strong rapport with colleagues and great communication skills. Feel proud and confident with the knowledge you’re getting the job done in a positive and constructive manner.

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