Assertiveness Masterclass - How to be Assertive & Likeable

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Details

Go to class

Provider

Coursera
Pricing

Paid Course
Languages

English
Certificate

Certificate Available
Effort

10 weeks, 2 hours a week
Sessions

Self-Paced
Level

Beginner
Subtitles

English

Found in

Part of

Confident & Assertive Workplace Communication

Overview

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Chris Croft is an international speaker, and widely published author, who's been teaching for over 20 years. He's taught over a million students all over the world, both online and in person, and has an entertaining and practical teaching style. This course is guaranteed to keep you engaged and amused, and teach you life-changing skills for home and work. Assertiveness is one of the most important skills for success in business and life. It helps you communicate clearly, build stronger relationships, influence people positively, and protect your time, energy, and wellbeing. Yet many people struggle to balance confidence with likeability. In this comprehensive masterclass, Chris Croft explores the psychology, behaviours, and practical techniques that help people become more assertive while maintaining positive relationships. Through a combination of practical tools, real-world examples, self-assessments, and exercises, you'll learn how to express yourself confidently without becoming aggressive or confrontational. The course covers confidence, communication skills, body language, listening, influencing, conflict management, emotional control, personal boundaries, and difficult conversations. You'll discover how to handle challenging people, stand up for yourself professionally, manage disagreement, and improve your ability to lead and influence others. Whether you're a manager, team member, business owner, or simply someone who wants to communicate more effectively, this course provides a complete toolkit for becoming more confident, influential, respected, and likeable in both your professional and personal life.

Syllabus

Introduction & Understanding Yourself
- This module lays the foundation for the Assertiveness Masterclass by introducing the core principles of assertive communication. You will explore what assertiveness is, how it differs from passive and aggressive behaviour, and why it matters in professional and personal situations. You will also develop greater self-awareness by examining your beliefs, habits, behavioural patterns, and personal scripts, while learning to appreciate different strengths and personality types. Finally, you will reflect on where greater assertiveness could have the most impact in your own life.
Assertiveness - Changing the Behaviour of Others
- Assertiveness is not about controlling people, but it can influence behaviour positively. This module explores how to communicate your expectations clearly, establish effective boundaries, encourage desirable behaviour, and address difficult situations constructively. You will learn how to approach conversations with confidence while preserving relationships.
Building Emotional Detachment in Confrontations
- One of the most powerful assertiveness skills is emotional detachment. In this module, you will learn how to remain calm and objective when faced with difficult people, criticism, or stressful situations. Through practical techniques and mindset shifts, you will discover how to focus on what you can control while maintaining emotional resilience and inner confidence.
Mantras - Practical Tips for Changing Limiting Beliefs
- Your inner dialogue has a significant influence on your confidence and behaviour. This module introduces the concept of personal mantras and positive self-talk, helping you challenge limiting beliefs and adopt more empowering ways of thinking. You will learn practical tools to stay calm, positive, and assertive when facing everyday challenges.
Words to Use When Being Assertive
- Knowing what to say is often the biggest challenge when trying to be assertive. In this module, you will learn a range of practical communication techniques and phrases that can be applied in difficult conversations. From questioning techniques and fogging to structured responses and constructive feedback, this module provides a toolkit of assertive language for real-life situations.
Overcoming Negative Emotions
- Stress, guilt, worry, regret, impatience, and anger can all undermine assertiveness. This module focuses on understanding and managing these common emotions so that they do not control your behaviour. You will learn practical strategies for reducing the impact of negative emotions and maintaining a calm, rational, and confident approach when things become challenging.
Positive Approaches
- Assertiveness is supported by a positive and constructive mindset. In this module, you will explore approaches that encourage confidence, resilience, and stronger relationships. Topics include goal setting, learning from mistakes, honesty, seeking understanding, and maintaining a positive attitude when dealing with others.
What To Say When Your Feeling Attacked
- Even the most assertive people face criticism, complaints, and verbal attacks. This module teaches you how to respond effectively when challenged by others. You will learn techniques such as negative enquiry, separating facts from emotions, asking effective questions, and focusing on processes rather than personalities, enabling you to maintain control during difficult interactions.
Using Assertiveness to Negotiate
- Negotiation is a natural extension of assertiveness. This module shows how to confidently ask for what you want, prepare for negotiations, identify acceptable outcomes, and communicate your position effectively. You will also learn strategies for handling resistance, negotiating with difficult people, and achieving mutually beneficial results.
Toxic People
- Some situations require special strategies because of the behaviour of others. This module explores how to identify toxic behaviours, recognise manipulation and game-playing, and protect yourself from negative influences. You will learn practical techniques for setting boundaries, keeping records, and dealing confidently with challenging personalities while maintaining your professionalism and wellbeing.