At a recent workshop I asked a group of managers whether they were assertive or not. I was surprised at the low numbers who said they were; and taken aback at the high numbers who felt they weren’t. When I questioned them further, many said they were uncomfortable about saying what they wanted to say on occasions because they didn’t know the best way to approach things. The basic technique uses a simple three step process: (1) “when you (state facts)” (2) “I feel (state feelings)” (3)”I would like (state requirements) because (state the benefits)”. Of course, theory is one thing and action is another but with any new technique, practising the skills constantly is the only way to log them in so they become an automatic response.