PART 2: Below are three parts to each assertive statement. Empathy/validation: say something that shows your understanding of another person's feeling. Statement of problem: describe a difficulty and tell why

you need something to change. Statement of what you want: make a request for a specific change Use these as guides to discuss a workplace situation that you experienced that was a success or would have liked to improve by using assertive communication techniques.: (for example: My colleague and I had a report to complete. It blew up. I could have approached it differently by saying: (Empathy/validation) I know you are anxious when you have your part of the report complete and I do not, but I've found myself overwhelmed and missing deadlines. (Problem)I realized that I often forgo my own ideas because I don't want to upset you, I understand.(Want) I am going to do things differently. When I start feeling overwhelmed, I am going to ask that we stop and reassess so that we can consider all options. I know that this is a change, but I think this will be fair to both of us and we can be more efficient and timely.