{"id":6862,"date":"2017-08-31T11:51:00","date_gmt":"2017-08-31T11:51:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/arliemediadesign.com\/?p=6862"},"modified":"2025-03-18T19:25:15","modified_gmt":"2025-03-18T19:25:15","slug":"being-assertive-and-building-trust-keys-to-workplace-satisfaction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.happy.co.uk\/blogs\/being-assertive-and-building-trust-keys-to-workplace-satisfaction\/","title":{"rendered":"Being Assertive and Building Trust: Keys to Workplace Satisfaction"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

You\u2019ll find a range of personalities in every workplace. Some people who are led by ambition, focused on skill development and career progression; others who are more interested in financial security and establishing a comfortable work\u2013life balance; and also those who are driven by curiosity, eager to learn, though not wholly devoted to the job itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, if someone\u2019s employed to do a job then the work needs to be satisfactorily carried out. But to insist that everyone is there for the same reason and should therefore exhibit the same level of zeal is to misunderstand the nuanced, complex nature of a workforce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are plenty of people who feel some level of ambivalence towards their work. Initially, this ambivalence mightn\u2019t negatively impact performance, but it can easily morph into apathy. And after losing interest, you begin to feel somewhat alienated from the work \u2013 an outsider looking through a foggy window, a little bemused but mostly bored.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One way to prevent such a feeling of estrangement is to become more engaged in workplace life and build closer bonds with co-workers. Even if it isn\u2019t your dream job, your experience at work will be enhanced \u2013 in terms of performance, personal satisfaction and long term behavioural benefits \u2013 by building trust and becoming more assertive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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People are more trustworthy than you might think.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Recently, after paying the bill at my local caf\u00e9, I put the change in my pocket without noticing the contents. I then went to the supermarket whereupon I noticed I\u2019d been given \u20ac1 not \u00a31 in change. So I walked back to the caf\u00e9 to explain what had happened and began to envision a negative scenario in which I\u2019d have to threaten to never return if wasn\u2019t given the appropriate currency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In actuality, I received a sincere apology and was immediately handed a \u00a31 coin. Naturally I felt like an idiot for having anticipated a different set of circumstances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What this trifling example illustrates is that people are generally more trustworthy than we expect. However, perhaps due to the competitive nature of the neo-liberal marketplace economy, or the horror stories that spring out at us from every newsstand and BBC News-streaming reception area, we so often assume the worst.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trust isn\u2019t always going to be rewarded, but it\u2019s definitely worth displaying a trusting attitude when dealing with co-workers. Again, you might fear being taken advantage of, but research suggests that proactively trusting other people \u2013 exhibiting a trusting attitude towards them from the outset \u2013 will actually stimulate a stronger amount of trustworthiness in them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trust cannot be undervalued in the workplace: it\u2019s vital for strengthening relationships among colleagues and enhancing your overall at-work experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Being assertive and having your voice heard<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Experiencing mutual trust in the workplace should also give you the confidence to assert yourself in group settings. Having your voice heard in these circumstances will not only add more diversity to workplace discussions, but also allow for further exploration and development of whatever ideas you have rumbling away inside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Part of being assertive and speaking up is being prepared to have others disagree with you. The existence of a trustful workplace dynamic will obviously be of great benefit when navigating differences of opinion, and likewise, being receptive to the converse ideas of other people is a key way of building trust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Assertiveness isn\u2019t about bleating your opinion the loudest; it\u2019s a two-way street, highly dependent on good listening. Conflicts will sometimes inevitably arise, but this shouldn\u2019t lead to avoidance or cloying submission. Instead, maintain composure and address the cause of conflict with honesty and warmth. The outcome could well be heightened trust as well as mutually strengthened assertiveness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Being receptive to the thoughts, suggestions and queries of your fellow employees is essential for building an overall stronger workforce, and these are behavioural traits that have immense use well beyond the workplace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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