Five ways to be the direct person youve always wanted to become at work

Five ways to be the direct person youve always wanted to become at workFive ways to be the direct person youve always wanted to become at workUnless youre already a pro at being direct,toeing the line between being assertive enough without being obnoxious can be difficult.Heres how to do so in a way thats effective, but totenstill keeps the person youre speaking with in mind.Stand your groundKnow your worth.If you have trouble being direct with a particular coworker or executive who consistently questions you or seems to doubt you,it can be easy toget lost in a web of words - or, worse, harp on what you feel like you lack professionally.Thats why its crucial to remember what you bring to the table while communicating your message.You got this job for a host of reasons, and justbecause someone who doesnt always listen to your ideas fails to hear you out doesnt mean that you have nothing valuable to say.Put yourself in the other persons shoesConversations are a two-way street.You migh t have a lot to get across, but be sure to examine the other persons perspective Where are they coming from? Does it seem like they will be more receptive to what youre saying if you present the topic to them in a specific way? Keep topics like this in mind.Also use the golden rule when being direct Treat those youre speaking to the way youd like to be spoken to.Choose your words carefullyDont smother the bad news with good news.The compliment sandwich tactic isnt always the best way to deliver feedback.Instead of dancing around what needs to be improved, be clear and respectful in saying it.Embrace who you are, and harness it in your deliveryDont pretend to be someone youre not.A Harvard Business Review article features advice from Daniel Ames, a professor of management at Columbia Business School and author of Pushing Up to a Point Assertiveness and Effectiveness in Leadership and Interpersonal Dynamics, on how to stay true to yourself.Dont feel you have to muster interpersonal co ldness to accompany your assertion. Feel free to be friendly and empathic while asking for your needs to be met, he told the publication.Keep the attention on youBeing overly directduring one-on-one meetings or conversations at work can seem confrontational, but keeping the persons focus on how youre feeling and/or what you need from them - instead of how theyre failing you in some way - can help get around that.Citing examples, a HuffPost article mentions that you should use I instead of you when being direct.Other featured advice includes saying significant things while face-to-face with someone (and that over the phone is in second place, voicemail is third, and that this should never be done throughtext message or email).When being direct, you dont need to cover up what youre really trying so say - just be conscientious in the way you say it.