Assertiveness and Getting What You Want.
Another one of my favorite DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy) skills is DEARMAN. It’s such a straight-forward way to begin practicing more assertive communication.
Think of one or more times when you had to deal with confrontation or tension within a relationship (whether it be personal or professional in nature)…
Did you have trouble saying “no”, making a decision, expressing your opinion, or standing up for yourself? Did you ignore the problem and hoped it would go away or just give in and let the other person have their way? Maybe you are of the more passive style of communicating.
If that doesn’t fit you, what about this… Did you lose your temper easily, make demands, interrupt others without listening to their thoughts, hold things in until you exploded, end up using name-calling or blaming language? You could be more of an aggressive communicator.
Finally, what about this reaction…Did you pretend you were ok with whatever was causing distress because you didn’t want to cause more trouble but then end up complaining or talking trash behind the other person’s back? Did you begin to “forget” to respond to the other person’s emails/calls/texts or show up late for meetings with them? You could be falling into the passive-aggressive style of communication.
DEARMAN is an acronym that walks you through creating a script for addressing the problem using the assertive communication style. Assertive communication is HARD - honest, appropriate, respectful, and direct. If you’re only being honest and direct, you’re aggressive and if only appropriate and respectful, you’re passive.
Here it is: (adapted from the DBT website)
DESCRIBE
-Describe the situation when necessary - sometimes it isn’t.
-Stick to the facts and don’t use judgmental statements.
-Focus on behaviors, not personality traits.
Ex:
1) “This is the 3rd time this week that dirty dishes have been left out.”
2) “I got a C on my last paper in your class even though I worked really hard on it and followed all the guidelines.”
3) “I’ve been working here for 2 years now and haven’t received a raise, even though my performance reviews have always been positive”
4) “This is the third time this week that you’ve asked me for a ride home.”
EXPRESS
-Express feelings/opinions about the situation clearly.
-Describe how you feel or what you believe about the situation.
-Don’t expect the other person to read your mind or know how you feel; give a brief reason for making your request.
Ex:
1) “I feel frustrated when the dishes are left out and I end up having to clean them up, but I really like having you as a roommate so it’s hard for me to say anything about it.”
2) “I believe I deserve a higher grade.”
3) “I believe that I deserve a raise.”
4) “I’m getting home so late that it is really hard for me and my family. But I also really enjoy giving you rides home, and it is hard for me to say no.”
ASSERT
-Assert your wishes.
-Ask for what you want.
-Say no clearly.
-Don’t expect the other person to know what you want them to do if you don’t tell them (don’t expect them to mind read).
-Don’t tell others what they “should” do.
-Don’t beat around the bush…Just bite the bullet and ask, or say no firmly.
Ex:
1) “I would like it if you cleaned your dishes and put them away after you’re done with them.”
2) “I’d like for you to hear out my reasoning for a higher grade and reconsider my paper.”
3) “I would like a raise. Can you give it to me?
4) “But I have to say no tonight. I can’t give you a ride home so often.”
REINFORCE
The basic idea here is that if people do not gain form complying with a request, at least some of the time, they may stop responding in a positive way.
-Reward people who respond positively to you when you ask for something, say no, or express an opinion.
-Sometimes it helps to reinforce people before they respond to your question by telling them the positive effects of getting what you want or need.
Ex:
1) “I’d feel less stressed and we would be able to hang out more as friends rather than deal with roommate tension if the apartment was cleaned up more often.”
2) “Thanks for considering my points and adjusting my grade. I really appreciate it.”
3) “I will be a lot happier and probably more productive if I get a salary that reflects my value to the company.”
4) “Thanks for being so understanding. I really appreciate it.”
STAY MINDFUL
-Keep your focus on your objectives in the situation.
-Maintain your position.
-Don’t be distracted on to another topic.
Two helpful techniques for staying mindful:
1. Broken Record
-Keep asking, saying no, or expressing your opinion…over and over and over.
-You don’t have to think up something new each time, just keep saying the exact same thing. Keep a mellow tone of voice….your strength comes from maintaining your position.
2. Ignore
-If the other person attacks, threatens, or tries to change the subject… ignore the threats, comments, or efforts to divert you. Just keep making your point. If you respond to these attacks, you have allowed the other person to take control of the situation. If you want to deal with the attacks…deal with them in another discussion.
APPEAR CONFIDENT
-Confident tone of voice
-Confident physical manner
-Appropriate eye contact
-No stammering, whispering, staring at the floor, etc…
How confident to act in a situation is a judgment call. There is a fine line between appearing arrogant and appearing too apologetic.
NEGOTIATE
-Be willing to give to get.
-Offer and ask for alternate solutions.
-Reduce your request.
-Maintain your no, but offer to do something else or solve the problem another way.
-Turn the tables: Turn the problem over to the other person and ask for alternative solutions.
Ex:
1) I know it bothers you when I play my music too loud when you’re trying to study, so if you can work on the dishes, I could work on using headphones or keeping the volume low.
2) If you can’t change my grade, is there any extra credit I can do?
3) “What do you think we can do.” “I am not able to say yes, but you really seem to want me to. What can we do here?”
4) “How can we solve this problem?”
Using DEAR MAN skills in really difficult situations
Some people have really good skills themselves, and keep refusing your legitimate requests, or pestering you to do something you don’t want to do.
*Use the same “DEAR MAN” skills, but change the focus to the current interaction.
1. Describe the current interaction
"You keep asking me over and over again even though I have already said no."
Avoid blaming the other person…i.e. don’t say “you just don’t want to hear me”
2. Express your opinions/feelings of discomfort about the interaction
I’m not sure that you understand what I am asking”
I’m starting to feel angry about this.”
3. Assert your wishes
when the other person is refusing a request, suggest that you put off the conversation to another time
Give the person another chance to think about it
When the other person is pestering you, ask them to stop
4. Reinforce
when saying no to someone who keeps asking….suggest that you end the conversation because you aren’t going to change your mind anyway
It may seem awkward and robotic at first to follow a script, but TRUST ME, this skill has several benefits that outweigh the initial weirdness of using it.
Start small. Apply the skill to something “easy” to gain confidence.
As you build up your confidence and comfort using the skill, it begins to feel more natural and you can then mold the skill/script to fit your style rather than molding yourself to fit it.
My favorite part about the DEAR MAN skill is that even in creating the script prior to addressing someone with it, you are processing your feelings and getting the stuff you’ve been holding onto out of you and onto paper. That small step in itself can offer a great deal of relief.
You can practice it with someone you trust first which can also be a cathartic experience, and it helps you fine-tune your approach.