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BSBN219:Communication foi health caie
woikeis
Assignment 1; Topic S
Yvonne Aheins
Woiu Count 1Su2 (excluuing Refeience at enu)
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Asseition anu aggiession can be communicateu both veibally anu non-veibally.
Theie aie many veibal anu non-veibal language cues that uefine the tone of the
message we aie senuing, anu the meaning anu oui emotions behinu it.
Complications in healthcaie can occui when theie is a bieakuown in the bouy
language anu tonality useu to convey a message when one is tiying to be
asseitive, howevei ultimately the message is peiceiveu as being one of
aggiession, eithei to the situation oi the peison involveu.
Thioughout my essay I will uiffeientiate between the two speaking styles by
pointing out both of veibal anu non-veibal cues that one can use to iuentify this
type of communication anu will mention my own peisonal expeiiences anu ways
in which changes in the veibal anu non-veibal cues coulu have alteieu the
oveiall tone of the message being conveyeu.

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Being asseitive is uefineu as 'the ability to honestly expiess youi opinions,
feelings, attituues, anu iights, without unuue anxiety, in a way that uoesn't
infiinge on the iights of otheis.' (Asseitive communication, The univeisity of
Iowa, 2uuu, paia. 6)
Theie aie many veibal chaiacteiistics of asseitive behavioi, in iecognizing these
we can uistinguish between whethei the peison is being asseitive oi aggiessive
in theii message. An asseitive message will be on in which the speakei is fluent
in theie speech, uses a fiim ielaxeu voice, has a iich waim tone anu sinceie anu
cleai in theie meaning (asseit youiself, 2uu8, p7). As you can see fiom these
tonal chaiacteiistics, we aie given an impiession that the communicatoi knows
exactly what they want to say, theie is no hesitation, they aie confiuent in theie
viewpoint oi belief anu uo not have a pioblem making the ieceivei awaie of this.
This is not to say that these aie the only veibal cues as to asseitive
communication. Asseitive communication also utilizes "I" statements, will often
involve the othei paity by asking foi theie view point oi opinion anu shows a
uistinction between fact anu opinion foi example "In my expeiience"(asseit
youiself!, 2uu8, P7).
Communication isn't all about the veibal cues of the conveisation, bouy language
often says moie than the woius coming out of someone's mouth. Postuie, eye
contact, gestuies facial expiessions anu pioximetiics aie all non-veibal
chaiacteiistics of asseition. In asseitive communication, the bouy postuie is tall,
theie is mostly eye contact with the ieceivei, a comfoitable uistance between the
communicatoi anu ieceivei anu ielaxeu facial expiessions, whethei happy oi
upset(speak 0p! uuiue p17).
0k, so fai I have mentioneu chaiacteiistics of asseitive communication, both
veibal anu non-veibal. I woulu now like to uiaw attention the content of the
conveisation. With communication, I believe what is saiu is equally impoitant in
conveying meaning as how you say something anu the bouy language you
associate with the conveisation. Asseitive communication is specific. In asseitive
communication the communicatoi is cleai about what they aie tiying to
communicate with you, foi example "I woulu like you to move the box ovei neai
the watei coolei" insteau of "can you move the box ovei theie"(Asseitive
Communication, 2uuu, pS).
Asseition can also involve a lot of iepetition, the communicatoi will continually
state the point they aie making ovei anu ovei again, without tuining to
aigument oi tiying to explain themselves(asseitive communication, 2uuu, pS).
When being asseitive it is impoitant that we uo not abuse the iights of ouiselves
oi otheis in oui conveisations (asseit youiself!,2uu8, p6)

So fai I have coveieu the uefinition of asseitive communication, the vaiieu
chaiacteiistics of asseitive behavioui, both veibal anu non-veibal, I woulu now
like to uiaw youi attention to the uefinition anu chaiacteiistics of aggiessive
communication. In the following paiagiaphs I will again covei both the veibal
anu non-veibal chaiacteiistics of aggiessive communication anu uefine
aggiessive communication.
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Aggiessive communications is seen as a way of communicating in which you
stanu up foi youi peisonal iights, expiess youi thoughts, feelings anu beliefs in a
way which violates the iights of the othei peison. People will often feel
thieateneu when aggiessive communication occuis (asseit youiself!, 2uu8, P4)
As with asseitive communication theie aie many vocal tonality cues anu bouy
language cues that can help ueteimine the oveiall tone of the conveisation.
Aggiessive vocal tonalities aie often veiy boastful, fluent with few hesitations ,
saicastic anu often quiet abiupt, fiim anu colu (asseit youiself!, 2uu8, pS)
Although theie aie a few similaiities heie with asseitive communication, such as
the fluency anu fiim vocal tones, the oveiall tone of the conveisation is often
veiy colu as mentioneu anu often the ieceivei feels in a position of blame (Asseit
youiself!, 2uu8, pS).
Theie aie also some quite uistinct non-veibal chaiacteiistics of aggiessive
communication, the communicatoi will often invaue the othei peisons space, use
pointing anu fist clenching gestuies will lean ovei the ieceivei anu often stiiue
aiounu impatiently(asseit youiself!, 2uu8, pS).
Quite often an aggiessive communicatoi will tiy to win at any cost, they believe
that theie point is the only one that matteis, they will be quite pushy anu will put
uown the othei paity. Aggiessive communicatois often uon't iespect the
viewpoint of the othei communicatoi anu will speak to louuly anu often shout
(Speak up!).

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I woik in a ietail phaimacy in Coffs Baiboui, I am a team leauei heie anu it is my
iesponsibility, with the help of othei team leaueis to ensuie the smooth woik
flow thioughout the uay. We aie quite a busy phaimacy anu often theie aie
many jobs to be uone such as unpacking oiueis, putting out the stock anu placing
piice labels on the shelf.
Theie was one expeiience wheie I took a staff membei to one siue anu askeu hei
why she though it was ok to walk stiaight past a customei without even
acknowleuging them. Bei ieply was that theie was both me anu anothei staff
membei on the countei that coulu have seiveu hei. In my iesponse, ieflecting on
what I have leaint in this essay I believe I was a little moie aggiessive than
asseitive, I stoou with ciosseu aims anu I was almost blaming heie foi not
seiving the customei, I uiun't iespect hei opinion of the situation as much as I
shoulu have anu shoulu have been a little moie iespectful of the fact the she also
hau jobs to uo, howevei I uiu make quite a stein point that customeis come fiist.
I believe ieflecting now that if I hau have taken the staff membei to one siue latei
aftei I hau hau a chance to calm my thoughts anu ieflect on the situation I coulu
have hanuleu it bettei, anu although I thought I was being asseitive I was in
actual fact being moie aggiessive towaius hei actions of ignoiing the customei.
As I have founu theie is a veiy fine uiffeience between asseitive anu aggiessive
communication anu that veiy small vocal tones anu bouy language gestuies
woulu have affecteu the outcome of the communication anu wheie both paities
woulu have felt a feeling of fulfillment that each hau come to a compiomise.
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As you can see theie aie a few similaiities between asseitive anu aggiessive
communication, it is impoitant to iemembei that often people will confuse one
foi the othei, that is why it is impoitant the we make suie all of oui language
cues, incluuing tonality anu bouy language aie in check foi the communication
style we aie tiying to achieve.
0ften people will oveistep the fine line between asseitive anu aggiessive
communication. It is a common mistake foi people who aie just staiting to tiy
out asseitive communication to come acioss aggiessive when this is not the
uesiieu outcome. It is impoitant to iemembei that in asseitive communication
we want a win-win situation (communicating asseitively in the woikplace, 2uu6,
p1).
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