Be Assertive, Not Aggressive: Creating Professional and Realistic Boundaries in the Workplace

Be Assertive, Not Aggressive: Creating Professional and Realistic Boundaries in the Workplace

If you’re going to be employed, you’re going to play the game. Learn when to be aggressive and when to be assertive in the workplace. Whether business professionals desire to or not, employment with or supporting a business usually requires professionals to enter the game of office politics. Using assertiveness or aggression to manage a team or task, advance your career, or take a stand can result in continual successes, temporary setbacks, or permanent failures. Whether active, inactive, or unaware of the occurrence of office politics, professionals are considered an active player as long as stakeholders are engaged in these games of office politics. Therefore, business professionals must know when to use assertive power moves over aggressive power moves to maneuver the game of office politics. The purpose of assertive power moves is to remain beneficial to your job performance, your team, your supervisors, your employer, and business customers while not jeopardizing your career.