Assertive Skills Workshop

creator: Brook Li

This workshop lasts for 75 minutes and has 3 parts, each lasting 25 minutes. Students will learn about and practice assertiveness in both personal and professional scenarios.

 

Part I: Super Hero Squad

 

Participants put each other into superheroes shapes, walk around with Superhero props, and practice presenting a confident persona through empowering posture, self-talk, and growth mindset.

 

Part II: Assertive Skills

   

Participants are put into 5 groups. Each group will be given a prompt, a hard conversation that needs to happen. Each group will present two short scenes. In one, the central character dodges the conversation. In the other, the center character faces up to the challenge and becomes assertive. The scenarios include:

   

    - Setting boundaries;

    - Offering constructive feedback;

    - Asking people out;

    - Network with "celebrities";

    - Asking for help

    

In the group discussion after the scenes are completed, facilitator will share useful techniques and strategies for assertive communication. The techniques have been gathered by Brook, who had interviewed business managers, educators, and entrepreneurs across industries on the topic. 

 

Part III: Comfort Challenges 

 

Before leading the workshop, a facilitator will share their own experience - stumbles, tears, and laughter completing the comfort challenges in section II - and how they overcame their own personal and/ cultural barriers in the process. For the rest of time, students will practice assertiveness with partners, and journal their experiences.