This virtual event was kicked off by CREWBaltimore President Kristen Ernst who thanked our annual sponsors and introduced our featured speaker, Diane Beliveau. Diane is a CREWBaltimore member and a certified instructor and business development consultant with Dale Carnegie. Diane has been with Dale Carnegie for close to 20 years and is certified in all of the courses that Dale Carnegie offers!
The course objectives included differentiating between passive, assertive and aggressive behaviors, navigating difficult situations with confidence, learning the right way to say “no”, and using 10 tips to build assertiveness. Through self-evaluation each attendee was asked to determine which of these behaviors they most often exhibit and how they believe others perceive them. As a challenge, Diane suggested that each attendee ask another person how they are perceived! By understanding the differences and evaluating tendencies, the right balance can be found.
Assertive leaders often lead with confidence, even when dealing with difficult situations. Diane walked the group through some behaviors exhibited by assertive leaders such as clearly communicating expectations, goals and priorities, valuing people’s differences, and encouraging productive conflict. She also shared tips to help gain cooperation from others through those difficult conversations. Those strategies include allowing the other person to do a great deal of the talking and admitting when you are wrong.
To say “no” effectively, Diane shared their “Say No” formula with the introduction of a cushion statement. A cushion statement helps to buffer a potential disagreement and allows the conversation to continue in a productive manner. Examples of cushion statements include saying “thank you for sharing that…” or “have you ever considered…” before redirecting the conversation. Diane cautioned NOT to use words like “but”, “however”, or “nonetheless” as these can often trigger a defensive stance.
To wrap up the session, Diane shared Dale Carnegie’s “10 tips to build assertiveness”. It seemed clear that every attendee was able to take something away from that list!
Although this session was held in a virtual setting, Diane kept it engaging and interactive through the use of polls, the chat window, and live attendee participation. The event hosted 44 attendees including 30 CREWBaltimore members, 1 CREW DC member, and 13 non-members. In addition to the valuable information gained through the session, each attendee received Continuing Education Unit (CEU) or other course credits.