The Big Picture
The way you communicate affects how other people receive your message. In CCA work, assertive communication means expressing yourself clearly while respecting the other person.
Assertive communication combines confidence with respect. Aggressive communication tends to sound hostile or threatening. Passive communication often sounds hesitant or apologetic.
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Start Here If You’re Overwhelmed
Focus on these core ideas:
- Assertiveness means expressing thoughts and feelings positively and directly without offending others.
- Assertive people stand up for their own rights while respecting the rights of others.
- Aggressive communication often appears angry, cold, upset, or threatening.
- Passive communication often appears hesitant, apologetic, and timid.
- A support worker needs confidence and assertiveness when communicating with physicians, nurses, and other health care team members.
- An assertive response respects the client while still showing confidence.
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Course Notes: Key Ideas You Need to Know
What Assertiveness Means
Assertiveness is a communication style where you express your thoughts and feelings positively and directly without offending others.
An assertive person stands up for their own rights while respecting the rights of other people. The person expresses an opinion with the goal of having their needs met. Other people do not have to agree, and the assertive person respects their right to disagree.
What Assertive Communication Looks Like
People who communicate assertively tend to appear:
- confident
- calm
- composed
- respectful
They speak gently, firmly, and positively. They do not appear hesitant or anxious.
Assertive, Aggressive, and Passive Communication
These three styles differ in both confidence and respect.
| Communication Style | What It Looks or Sounds Like |
|---|---|
| Assertive | Confident, calm, composed, gentle, firm, positive, and respectful |
| Aggressive | Upset, cold, angry, threatening, and usually disrespectful |
| Passive | Hesitant, apologetic, timid, and focused on avoiding hurt or offence |
Passive communication comes from a desire to avoid hurting or offending others. Even so, passive behaviour sometimes leaves other people uncomfortable.
Assertive communication tends to avoid that problem because it uses direct, honest, and sincere communication.
Assertiveness With the Health Care Team
Some people struggle to speak assertively with people in authority because they feel intimidated .
Support workers communicate regularly with physicians, nurses, and other members of the health care team . A support worker needs confidence and assertiveness during these conversations.
Your observations matter when changes in a client’s condition need attention. Suggestions you make during a care conference can help improve the care a client receives.
How the Three Styles Look in a Client Situation
A long-term care example shows a new support worker shaving a client. The client criticizes the worker’s skill, compares her with the previous worker, and threatens to report her.
The worker has several ways to respond. Each response shows a different communication style.
Aggressive Response
An aggressive response argues back, becomes hostile, and makes a judgment about why the client feels upset.
This response lacks empathy and respect. It also disregards the client’s safety needs.
Passive Response
A passive response includes an apology and negative statements about the worker’s own ability.
This response shows a lack of confidence. It also suggests that the worker doubts their ability to provide safe and competent care.
Assertive Response
An assertive response recognizes that different caregivers perform care differently. The worker states that the client’s safety and comfort matter and asks how the client prefers the care to happen.
This response combines compassion with confidence. It also shows willingness to adapt the care method to the client’s preferences.
Fast Review
Focus on the differences between the three communication styles.
- Assertiveness means expressing thoughts and feelings positively and directly without offending others.
- Assertive communication respects your own rights and the rights of other people.
- Assertive people appear confident, calm, composed, firm, positive, and respectful.
- Aggressive communication often appears upset, cold, angry, or threatening and is usually disrespectful.
- Passive communication often appears hesitant, apologetic, and timid.
- Support workers need confidence and assertiveness when speaking with members of the health care team.
- Observations about changes in a client’s condition are important to communicate.
- In the client example, the assertive response shows compassion and confidence while addressing safety, comfort, and the client’s preferences.
Final Pep Talk
If the three styles start blending together, compare their tone and level of respect. Keep reviewing the contrast between confident respect, hostility, and hesitation until each style feels easier to recognize.