In this episode of ICommunicate, MindsetGo Founder Mark Altman discusses barriers to advocating for yourself and your team, how to be assertive when setting boundaries and expectations, and the cost of internalizing your emotions related to your happiness, motivation, and engagement in the workplace.

Segment 1:

There’s a perceived thin line between “complaining” and “educating,” but can you say what separates the two? What’s the reward for speaking up against a decision that you feel is wrong? Why should we be treating advocating for ourselves like a personal sales pitch?

Segment 2:

We can’t control how other people are going to react to us, but we can control our ability to influence people. Can you identify what makes you unhappy about your work and personal life, and understand the root cause of those frustrations? What is the difference between being assertive and being aggressive?

Segment 3:

There are countless problems that could have been avoided if people had taken the time to stop, think, and ask meaningful questions. What internal and external obstacles are preventing us from having difficult conversations about advocacy? How can we discern when there is an opportunity to advocate for ourselves versus when there isn’t?

Segment 4:

If we want to communicate our thoughts and feelings in a way that changes the perspective of the person we’re talking to, we have to have a gameplan. How can we gauge the success of conversations about advocacy? What communication strategies should we have in mind heading into these conversations?