Be assertive to earn more
There are no hard and fast rules for success but there are always effective strategies to get to the top sooner than the others. Researchers from Temple University’s Fox School of Business, Philadelphia and George Mason University, near Washington DC, have recently discovered that workers who avoided salary discussions at
appraisals or during interviews, almost never got a raise. While those who actively sought out a rise earned an average $1,000 more every year than those who didn’t. They also found the most effective strategies for securing a bigger salary were to be assertive and ‘not take no for an answer’.
Experts do agree that passive-aggressive behaviour can be more beneficial. Corporate counsellor Saraswathy S. says, “Aggression is not synonymous with violence. Most aggression is forceful goal-directed behavior (i.e., “fighting for something we want”). When that fighting is principled, non-violent, modulated and disciplined, with care taken to protect the rights and legitimate interests of others, the behaviour can help one go notches higher in one’s career.”
She adds that it is important to be just as “competitive” during salary negotiations too. “Those who are more prepared for the negotiation process are always able to use more assertive strategies and know how to play their cards right.”
Rajkumar Arul, country HR director, TNT India, explains, “There is a thin line between being aggressive and abrasive and one should keep that in mind. People who are aggressive definitely get more visibility when compared to the passive one’s as they are more vocal, open and firm in getting things done, that’s why perhaps they end up earning more. They just know how to put their point across which is good. But that doesn’t imply that the non-aggressive ones are overlooked by the company.”
Employees agree that in today’s fast paced competitive world, it’s important to be forceful in one’s approach, else one can easily get sidelined. Ravi Shankar, a program analyst with a leading technology firm says, “You need to be assertive about issues at the workplace. By not speaking up and hoping the situation will get better is a losing proposition. If you’re unhappy about a situation, and you haven’t spoken up about it, you’re equally responsible for it. By using assertiveness techniques, you can stand up for yourself without stepping on toes and of course reap more rewards too.”
Some others believe that aggressiveness should only be in used one’s approach to work and has to be backed by performance. Habil Ahmed, the president of a leading leather company says, “You need to be aggressive to succeed. Not in a literal sense but aggressive in ideas, by aiming high and getting people follow you. One should accept people who have unconventional ideas.”
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